Out of Control
by Mares Guyver
Summary: CHAPTER 9 UP! The Three Stooges of Tokyo-3 unite, and a new player emerges from the shadows. A retelling of Evangelion, fused with the world of Bio-booster Armor Guyver. My 1st fanfic, please R&R!
1. Chapter 1: A Bitter Reunion

Standard Disclaimer: "Neon Genesis Evangelion" and "Bio-booster Armor Guyver" are the creative property of Hideaki Anno and Yoshiki Takaya respectively. I am but a poor fanfic writer trying to honor these fine works, so please restrain your rabid and drooling attorneys.

Other Standard Disclaimer: This fanfic is rated PG-13 (or T) for violence, swearing, and mild sexual references.

Introductory Author's Note: This is a first attempt at writing a fanfic, so constructive criticism is both welcome and appreciated. If anyone would like to act as a pre-reader for future chapters, just let me know by e-mailing me (my address is on my profile). Oh, and for those of you who are unfamiliar with "Guyver," check out the data files I included at the end of this chapter (plus the omake). Enjoy!

KEY  
"spoken"  
'thoughts'  
_(radio communication)_

Out of Control  
A Neon Genesis Evangelion/  
Bio-booster Armor Guyver Fusion  
By: Mares Guyver

Chapter 1: A Bitter Reunion

_"Due to a state of public emergency, all phone lines are currently unavailable."_

Upon hearing those words, the boy clutching the receiver slumped forward, blowing a dejected breath of air from his mouth. With more than a little amount of force he placed the treasonous device back in its cradle, then turned to exit the public phone booth. Looking back and forth down the long city road, Shinji Ikari rolled his eyes skyward, allowing himself yet another long sigh.

Not for the first time since arriving in Tokyo-3, Shinji dug out the scrap of paper and Polaroid that he had received in the mail only days earlier. The piece of paper contained a single word, "Come," which simultaneously revealed nothing yet said so much on other levels. The photo on the other hand was a little more . . . revealing, though not in any useful information. The scantily-clad, smiling woman it displayed (with an arrow pointing right at her huge . . . tracts of land) seemed to offer a warm distraction from the chill of the former note, though it did little to ease Shinji's discomfort with the situation.

'Perfect, just perfect . . .' Shinji thought as he looked down at the picture again, 'This Katsuragi person said she'd pick me up at the station, but it's been more than an hour since I got here. And when I try to call in and figure out what I did wrong, the stupid phone's out of order! Well, I guess I'll just wait here until somebody drives by . . . hopefully someone's heard of this NERV place my father works at . . .'

At the mere thought of his estranged parent, the dark-haired child felt something contract inside of him. Slowly his right hand, which held the note and picture, began tightening, rhythmically flexing and unflexing as Shinji's own heartbeat began thudding in his eardrums. Soon the whispers came, as they always did when he thought angry thoughts, and his mouth tightened to a barely perceptible line.

'Otou-_san_ . . . it's all _his_ fault. If he hadn't left me behind, it wouldn't have happened. I'd still be normal. I wouldn't be a . . . a . . .'

A sudden movement in the corner of his eye derailed Shinji's train of thought. Turning, he saw a young girl, dressed in a powder-blue school uniform with matching hair and piercing red eyes, staring at him from a few meters away. But just as Shinji was about to call out, he was startled by the sudden takeoff of a flock of birds. After verifying the source of his distress, the boy turned back, but the strange, pale girl had disappeared.

'Well, that was odd . . .' But while he was thinking this, the roar of twin jet engines and explosive gunfire suddenly came into being. Shinji turned in the direction of the new noise, and his eyes widened at the sight before them—two military aircraft retreating from something resembling a giant, headless, obsidian-covered bodybuilder. 'Ooookay . . . strike that.'

But just when Shinji felt things couldn't get any weirder, screeching tires and a blue streak on the road magically stopped behind him and resolved into a late model sports car with none other than Shinji's appointed pickup behind the wheel. Rolling down the windows, she leaned out (giving the boy yet another nosebleed-inducing peek) and yelled, "You Shinji Ikari? If you are, then get in!"

Shinji blinked—he had been expecting something more along the lines of, "Come with me if you want to live." Quickly gathering his senses, he threw his backpack into the backseat then scrambled around the car and in through the passenger side window. No sooner had his rear settled in the seat then the mauve-haired beauty sent the pedal to the floor, and they were off.

Buckling his seatbelt with slightly shaking hands, Shinji turned to his new companion, "Are you Katsuragi-_san_?" The stunning woman in the black dress beside him smiled and nodded.

"That's right, Captain Misato Katsuragi at your service," she then turned, pulling down her sunglasses and winking, "But you can call me Misato."

Shinji felt a small bead of sweat roll down the back of his head, "R-r-right, Misato-_san_." The display of nervousness drew a chuckle from the NERV Captain.

"Don't worry Shinji-_kun_, I won't bite . . . much." Seeing her companion sink a little deeper into his seat, Misato couldn't help but grin. 'Oh, this kid is going to be so much fun!'

Trying to keep any more . . . stimulating thoughts from entering his head, Shinji looked out his window at the lumbering giant, which had stopped just a few kilometers outside the glittering metropolis of Tokyo-3. Military aircraft hovered in a semicircle around the creature, each seemingly waiting for the other to make a move. Resting his eyes on the beast, Shinji took in every detail—the huge bulky torso and shoulders, the thin and gangly arms, the odd beaked mask, and the large red orb in the center of its chest. As the standoff continued, the whispers came back, as _it_ began sensing a potential threat . . . and potential adversary.

_Danger . . . Enemy . . . Battle . . . FIGHT . . . DESTROY . . . **KILL** . . ._

Closing his eyes, Shinji concentrated on making the voice go away. _It_ would not get its way, _it _would not get release . . . not now, not at all. Soon the voice faded to a bare murmur, and hoping for a distraction, Shinji turned to his current caretaker.

"Misato-san, wha-what is that thing?" Misato's cheerful demeanor seemed to fall away as her mouth settled into a serious frown.

"That, Shinji-_kun_, is what we call an 'Angel'—the third Angel to be exact." Still paying attention to the road, Misato glanced over at her wide-eyed charge, "NERV, the organization your father runs, was formed with the sole purpose of defending mankind from the Angels."

"Otou-_san_ is in charge of NERV?" At Misato's nod, Shinji turned back to face the road ahead, frowning slightly as he contemplated this new information. For a few minutes the hum of the car's engine was the only sound to break the silence, but then the hum died as Misato pulled the blue Renault on to a small overlook on the side of the highway.

Seeing the boy's questioning look, Misato smiled as she pulled a pair of binoculars from the backseat, "I just want to see what those military hotshots are up to." Nodding his understanding, Shinji exited the car along with the purple-haired Captain. Taking a position behind the car, the young Ikari tried hard to stare at the monster movie-esque scene ahead rather than the bent-over female beside him.

Aside from the cicadas endless chirping, nothing seemed to happen for a long time, at least from Shinji's perspective. Misato, on the other hand, suddenly tensed up and lowered her binoculars, "Those fucking idiots! They're gonna drop an N-2 mine!" Moving quickly, she threw the binoculars back in the car, grabbed her charge and dropped to the dirt, covering his head with her hands. Shinji was about to ask what the heck the big deal was, when a blinding light and roar answered his question for him.

_

* * *

_

When Shinji opened his eyes again, Misato was already up and struggling to shove her poor battered car upright. Apparently, the blast had blown the sports car right off the road and onto its side. Standing and brushing the dirt off his pants, Shinji just stared until Misato stopped and threw him an annoyed glare, "Well, you gonna help me or what?" The boy's face did a fare impression of a tomato as he blushed.

"S-s-sorry . . ." Jogging over, Shinji put both his hands against the car and gave a forceful shove. Almost instantly the car flipped right-side up, and even skidded forward a few feet back onto the road. Blinking, Misato looked over at the thin, fairly scrawny boy next to her.

"Wow, you're stronger than you look . . ." Blushing an even deeper shade of crimson, Shinji tried to stutter out a reasonable explanation.

"Y-y-yeah, well I . . . you know, w-w-work out, and stuff . . ." As his words trailed off, the brown-haired lad looked up sheepishly to a blank-faced Misato. She blinked, then blinked again, and then finally shrugged her shoulders.

"Works for me." Turning his head, Shinji let out a silent relieved breath before following the Captain back to the car. After a little more tinkering and a quick stop in an abandoned garage, the blue Renault roared back to life and hurried down the road at even more staggering speeds than before.

Glancing at the pile of car batteries in the seat behind him, Shinji turned to his supposedly responsible caretaker, who seemed lost in her own slowly growing world of automotive despair. "Ano . . . Misato-_san_, was it legal to take all those things?" Snapping back to reality, Misato paled slightly before turning and giving the boy a huge, ridiculously transparent grin.

"Of course it was, Shinji-_kun_! After all, I'm a government official, and as such I have certain privileges in times of emergency." Shinji just stared at the woman, who slowly felt her grin slipping as sweat beaded on her forehead. Eventually though, the boy turned away and faced the road.

"Somehow, that still doesn't seem very honest." Misato scowled at the boy, and harrumphing, turned back to the road herself.

"And somehow, you don't seem quite as cute as you did before." Shinji automatically blushed, but for a brief instant a sliver of backbone materialized in his spine, and a smirk formed on his face.

"So younger guys do it for you, eh?" The purple-haired wonder's cheeks turned a healthy pink, but then she fumed, thinking, 'So that's the way he wants it, huh?' In an instant, the Renault was wildly swerving back and forth, crossing both lanes of traffic as the driver grinned savagely and the passenger held on for dear life.

"MISATO-_SAN_!"

* * *

None too soon for Shinji, the ride that would put most major theme parks out of business came to an end. As the blue sportscar descended underground via a specially designed lift, the son of the often feared Gendo Ikari tried to stop shaking while his caretaker calmly spoke into a cell phone beside him. 

"Yeah . . . I've got him, we're riding the lift right now . . . well it's not my fault, _he_'s the one who decided to leave the station . . . I wasn't _that_ late . . . look, just be ready for us in fifteen mintues, okay?" Sighing, Misato closed the phone and put it back in her purse, rubbing her temple with her other hand. 'God, I could use a beer right now.'

"Is everything all right, Misato-_san_? I'm sorry if I've caused you any trouble . . ." Pausing in her massage, Misato looked over wearily at the downcast boy, his eyes obscured by his lowered bangs. Slowly, a warm, gentle smile worked itself onto the NERV Captain's face, and she reached over to ruffle Shinji's hair.

"You aren't any trouble, Shinji-_kun_—it's that damned Angel . . ." Her charge looked up with curious eyes, so Misato continued, "The blast from the N-2 mine didn't kill it, just wounded it. And by our people's best estimates, it should be fully regenerated within an hour or so." Shinji's eyes widened as he took this new knowledge in.

"Wha-what will you do to stop it?" Misato shook her head.

"I don't know, Shinji, I really don't know right now . . ." For a moment neither of the pair said anything, but then Misato smiled and turned to Shinji, "So, how does it feel coming to Tokyo-3? Do you know why your father called you here?" The questions seemed innocent enough, but she was shocked when Shinji's face grew noticeably darker, a deep frown marring his soft features.

"I have no idea why my father called me here. He . . . left me with a caretaker a long time ago, so until today I didn't even know _where_ he worked, much less that he was in charge . . ." Misato's shocked expression gave way to recognition, and then deep sympathy. 'So familiar . . .' she thought, turning back to face forward, and when she spoke again, her voice had softened a great deal.

"I guess . . . you have a lot of issues with your father." Shinji's eyes closed as unrestrained memory pushed itself to the forefront. Himself as a child, standing in the rain, watching his father's retreating back. Days and weeks by himself, practicing his cello again and again to perfection. That last meeting at his mother's grave, only a few years back, and the awful things they both said. And most recent, hiding in the woods behind his caretakers' house, falling into a dark cave, a whirring noise, and then . . . pain.

"Yeah . . . I guess so . . ."

Shinji's eyes snapped open, and he jumped slightly as a large, warm hand rested itself on his shoulder. Slowly, he turned to look at the purple-haired goddess beside him, who was smiling the same gentle smile as before. The boy's expression was priceless—he was absolutely befuddled by the older woman's action, and that confusion only made Misato smile more.

"You know, that means we have a lot in common then, Shinji-_kun_." The young Ikari's eyes widened slightly as he took in Misato's words, and he quickly looked away, head downcast in embarrassment. But after a moment, he glanced back, and his deep cobalt eyes found connection in her earth brown ones.

"Th-thanks, Misato-_san_." Misato grinned.

"Anytime, Shinji-_kun_ . . ." the mauve-haired beauty then grinned even wider, and pointed behind the boy, "Take a look." Shinji turned, and for the umpteenth time that day, he was shocked speechless by the sight in front of him. They had entered an immense cavern, perfectly formed, with seemingly natural light shining from above. Grass and woodland covered the wide ground, and in the distance the brown-haired lad could make out a pyramid and other buildings forming a large underground city. The real shocker though, was the other city, seemingly hanging upside down from the ceiling like a collection of glass and steel stalactites.

"Wow . . . a real Geofront!" Misato nodded.

"Yes, this is our base, our home, and our last defense against the Angels. Welcome to NERV headquarters." Still gaping in awe, her charge could only nod in reply.

_

* * *

_

'"God's in his heaven, all is right with the world"? What genius thought up that motto?' thought Shinji as he leafed through the thick text he been handed. He and Misato had left the blue Renault almost half an hour ago, and for that entire time they had been wandering the endless corridors of the Geofront, seemingly getting nowhere despite the purple-haired Captain's self-assuring claims. The text he was reading was an introductory manual to NERV, emblazoned with the red half leaf just like it seemed every other object he passed was. 'Otou-_san_ sure knows how to keep a theme going . . .'

Misato's sudden stop in front of him caused Shinji to quit his inner dialogue and look up. A small bead of sweat rolled down his temple as he recognized the current surroundings, "Ano . . . I think we've already passed these elevators before, Misato-_san_." Back to Shinji, Misato felt her eyebrow start twitching.

"I know that! We're just here to wait for someone." Self-defensive instinct kicking in, Shinji shrank away from the fuming older woman. Stuttering in his nervousness, he once again stated his most well-used phrase.

"S-s-sorry, Mi-Misato-_san_." The purple-haired beauty sighed—she had scared the poor boy, again. But before she could say anything the elevators in front of her opened, and a short-haired blond woman in a white lab coat stepped out. Shaking her head, the newcomer gave Misato a disappointed frown before speaking.

"How long have you been here, Captain Katsuragi? Two months? And you _still_ can't find your way around?" Misato pouted cutely.

"No fair, Ritsuko! You _know_ that they change the layout every other week. How am I supposed to keep up?" The blond, now identified as Ritsuko, just sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose.

"We really don't have time for this . . ." Looking back up, Ritsuko noticed the area's other occupant behind the purple-haired Captain, seemingly doing everything he could to make himself invisible. Stepping past Misato, the blond woman held out her hand to the diminutive lad, "I'm Ritsuko Akagi, NERV's Chief of Development. You must be the Third Child."

Nodding at the still strange designation, Shinji bowed low before reaching out and shaking the new woman's hand, "Y-y-yeah, I'm Shinji Ikari. It's a-a-a pleasure to meet you." Ritsuko's expression softened a hair as she took in the boy's embarrassment.

"Well, well, quite the charmer I see." The blond doctor smirked lightly as Shinji turned a fair shade of crimson at her compliment, thinking, 'He's nothing like his father . . . not the slightest bit . . .' Turning back to Misato, Ritsuko started walking down a hidden corridor just behind the row of elevators. She paused for a moment and glanced over her shoulder, "Well, are you two coming?" She almost laughed at the shared blank expression between the young boy and the purple-haired Captain. After a moment, the two came out of their trances and hurried after the scientist.

* * *

After today, Shinji was fairly sure that his weirdness quota had been used up for the next few decades. Following Ritsuko through a random maze of passages, the three had eventually been forced to cross a large and chilly lake by boat. The passage over, they had entered a completely dark but seemingly huge chamber, given how sound seemed to reverberate from everywhere. If that wasn't enough, when the lights were actually turned on, Shinji found himself being glared at by a giant purple face! The boy had tried to find "Ugly giant robot thing" in his manual, but Ritsuko quickly assured him that it wouldn't be there. 

"All-Purpose Artificial Humanoid Decisive Battle Machine Evangelion Test Unit-01, the ultimate weapon developed by mankind." Ritsuko stated with no little amount of pride. Shinji blinked at the tall blond woman, then turned back to take in the menacing-looking robot.

"So . . . _this_ is what my father's been working on?"

"Correct." The booming voice momentarily caused Shinji's heart to stop beating, and when it started again, he chided himself for startling so easily. Adopting a grimace as his base expression, Shinji looked up to the source of the intruding presence.

High above on a platform above EVA Unit-01, standing like some ancient idol or demigod, Gendo Ikari glowered down at his son, his expression somewhat hidden by amber-colored glasses. The Supreme Commander of NERV watched silently as the boy's expression shifted from grimace to hateful frown, his right hand clenching and unclenching compulsively. To Gendo, the child seemed to be at a loss for words.

In actuality, Shinji had several things which he wanted to say to the Almighty Bastard King, most of which would make even a loud red-headed German blush. However, at the moment he was to busy trying to mentally restrain _it_ from letting loose and tearing his father a new one. His heartbeat sounded like tympani in his ears, and the usual whisper had become a desperate scream for attention.

_ENEMY! ENEMY! ENEMY! _

'I mustn't lose control, I mustn't lose control, I musn't lose control . . .' Shinji repeated over and over, his usual mantra whenever it pushed and begged him this hard. Lowering his head so that no one could see his inner torment, the brown-haired boy finally managed to utter, "Otou-_san_ . . ."

Leering for a moment, Gendo took in his son's apparent deference before speaking again, "It's been awhile." His leer grew as he observed his son's hand tighten into a fist.

'Three years you bastard . . . _THREE_. _YEARS_. Though these days it seems like a lot longer . . .' Out loud though, Shinji asked, "Why have you called for me, Otou-_san_?" Gendo's expression returned to its usual non-descript.

"I have a purpose for you." At this, Shinji finally looked up at Gendo with fire burning in his eyes.

"A _purpose_? That's all?" Gendo nodded, ignoring the child's enraged tone. With a flourish, he pointed at the giant purple mecha.

"You will pilot it." Shinji's eyes bugged out in disbelief, and Misato mirrored his reaction.

"WHAT! Me! Pilot that thing? I don't know anything about it! You honestly expect me to be able to pilot this when I've just gotten here!" Ritsuko stepped forward beside Shinji.

"You will be instructed. Right now, all we need is for you to sit in it and try," Ritsuko spared a quick glance at Misato, who eyes were narrowed angrily, "That's all we expect of you right now."

Across the catwalk from the scientist, Misato's mouth settled into a thin line of frustration, 'If they were planning to use Unit-01, much less bring in a new pilot, they should have told me! It took Rei seven months to develop a good enough synch ratio just to _move_ her EVA. How can they expect _him_ to do the same in only a fraction of that time?' Russet eyes shifted from the blond woman across the way to the slouching, quivering child between them, anger slowly giving way to worry and concern. 'Shinji-_kun_ . . .'

Head hung low, the boy in question contemplated the strange new situation he found himself in, 'Otou-_san_ . . . I knew he didn't want me. But how could he . . . after _everything_ . . .!' Taking a deep breath to calm his surging emotions, Shinji tilted his gaze back up to his father, trying to maintain the illusion of sheer defiance.

"Why me?" he asked quietly.

Gendo pushed his glasses back up on his nose, causing the lenses to flash with reflected light. After a pause, he finally spoke, "Because there is no one else who can."

As the weight of the Commander's words hung in the air of hanger, a muffled boom suddenly rocked the foundation of the base. Glancing upwards to the shaking fluorescent lights, Gendo stated calmly, "So, it's figured out where we are." After a moment, he tilted his head so that his amber-glassed gaze fell square on Ritsuko.

Nodding, the blond turned to Shinji, stating seriously, "Shinji-_kun_, we're out of time. Will you pilot, or not?" Rather than answer, the blue-eyed child just stared at the bright orange coolant pool beneath his feet. Narrowing her unbleached eyebrows, NERV's Chief Scientist looked over into the brown eyes of the Tactical Operations Director, her eyes widening insistently.

Misato pursed her lips, her eyebrows knit in a tight knot of indecision. She glanced down at Shinji, who sensed the motion and looked at her with a pleading expression on his young features. Misato quickly looked away and closed her eyes, and when she spoke, it was barely above a whisper.

"Get in the EVA, Shinji-_kun_." Shinji stumbled back, tears of hurt and betrayal stinging his eyes as Misato turned to look at him, her face a blank mask, "You're our only hope now—_mankind's_ only hope. We need you to pilot Unit-01 against the Angel, or else we're all doomed." Shinji shook his head wildly, holding his hands over his ears.

"NO! This is crazy! I don't know anything about this! I won't do it!" Misato's expression flickered, and she reached a hand out towards the boy only to have him violently jerk away.

"Shinji . . ."

"Forget it, Captain. If the child wants to run away and go home, then we'll let him." Walking across the platform, Gendo pressed a button on a small control panel, "Fuyutski, send Rei to the EVA loading dock . . ." Frowning deeply, he glanced down at Shinji, who was still disappointedly curled over on the catwalk below, "The replacement is useless."

A rich and cultivated voice crackled on the speaker, _(Is that wise? She may be incapable of piloting.)_ Gendo shrugged.

"She isn't dead, yet." After receiving an affirmative response, Gendo turned off the intercom and resumed his previous position. Soon, three medics rolled a gurney onto the same catwalk as Shinji, Misato and Ritsuko, and Shinji looked up with curiosity and shame. His eyes widened as he recognized the girl he had seen on the road before. Standing up, he walked past Misato until he stood by Ritsuko, his mouth giving voice to the question he asked in his head.

"Who is that girl?" The blond scientist glanced down at the boy, whose eyes were fixed on the pale, heavily bandaged pilot. Ritsuko frowned slightly then faced the gurney herself.

"Her name is Rei Ayanami, and she is the First Child—the first EVA pilot to be discovered." Shinji gulped, and he took in the girl's current state of being. Rather than the school uniform he had seen her in previously, she was now wearing a skintight white jumpsuit, the arms bare to allow bandages to be wrapped around them. Her right eye was covered by a large bandage, secured to her head by a headband of white gauze. More gauze seemed to be wrapped around the girl's chest beneath the jumpsuit, and her right arm was bent at a permanent ninety degrees thanks to a cast. The odd thing was, her face was totally impassive, making no expression, no sign of the pain she had to be in.

'Otou-_san_ would make someone pilot in her condition?' Shinji's eyes narrowed, 'Of course he would . . .'

"Rei . . ." Gendo started, and waited until the child's crimson eyes rested on him, "You will pilot again." Rei's lips opened, and uttered the softest voice Shinji had ever heard.

"Yes, sir . . ." Closing her eyes, the First Child struggled to sit up, and then swung her legs over the edge of the gurney. But before she could lower herself to the floor, a loud explosion rocked the base, and Rei was thrown from the gurney as the medics panicked. Shinji was already moving, and lunging he caught the pale girl before she could hit the ground. The formerly stoic pilot cried out in pain, and as blood from her reopened wounds covered his hands, Shinji sat up and pulled the girl close, trying to keep her safe amidst the chaos around them.

"Shinji-_kun_, look out!" At Misato's scream, Shinji looked up to see a dislodged and unfamiliar piece of ceiling plunging straight for him and Rei. The boy quickly covered the albino with as much of his body as possible, for unleashing _it_ this close would kill the poor girl, plus Shinji felt he owed Rei for putting her in such pain in the first place. The impact never came though, and after a moment Shinji opened his eyes . . . and discovered a gigantic, armor-plated hand hovering over him.

"Unit-01 moved on its own! Impossible!" Blinking at the exclamation, Shinji looked towards the side and sure enough, EVA Unit-01's purple and green-streaked arm had magically risen from the coolant lake below to deflect the debris from Shinji and his wounded companion. The boy wasn't sure, but he could swear he saw the eye closest to him glow brightly before fading back to nothing.

'Well whadaya know, the thing likes me! Must be a sign from Kami-_sama_ . . .' Shaking these random thoughts away, Shinji turned back to the still whimpering girl in his arms. As gently as he could, Shinji lifted Rei up and carried her back to the gurney, which the medics had finally set back upright. As soon as the girl had been lowered to the bed, her expression once again became a rigid mask, but she turned her head to look at Shinji—her eyes probing, questioning.

In an uncharacteristically bold move, Shinji rested his hand on the girl's cast, a faint blush spreading to his cheeks, "F-forgive me, Ayanami-_san_. But rest now; I won't let you get hurt anymore." The only muscle to move on Rei's face was her eyelids as they blinked, but her crimson orbs seemed to convey . . . gratitude(?), and understanding. Shinji watched as the medics rolled her back out of the EVA dock, and tightening his hands into fists, turned around to glare up at the expressionless NERV Commander.

"Alright Otou-_san_, I'll pilot it."

* * *

Things moved swiftly after Shinji affirmed his commitment to piloting EVA Unit-01. Gendo and Ritsuko quickly relocated to the base's Command Center while Misato stayed behind to observe Shinji's preparation and insertion into the mecha. Still a little hurt by the Captain's earlier actions, Shinji paid her no mind as he stepped into a cockpit that eerily resembled a giant, white p . . . pencil. Even stranger was the metal hairclips he was told to wear, supposedly to aid his mind in "synchronizing" with the EVA. 

'How the heck are barrettes supposed to aid in telepathic communication with giant bio-mechanical robots? Next they'll be telling me I have to do this whole thing underwater . . .'

Ritsuko's voice suddenly crackled from a radio mounted on the pilot seat, _(Okay Shinji_-kun_, your plug has been successfully inserted. We're going to pump in the LCL now.)_ Shinji's eyes narrowed slightly.

'Curse you, Kami-_sama_ . . .'

* * *

Misato strode into the Command Center just as the aforementioned orange goo began sloshing into EVA-01's Entry Plug. All eyes were on the main viewer as Shinji struggled to hold his head above the rapidly rising fluid, then finally submerged, cheeks puffed out with trapped air. If the overall situation hadn't been so serious, the entire deck might have burst out laughing. 

Sighing, Ritsuko grabbed the microphone in front of her, "Shinji-_kun_, stop holding your breath. LCL will oxidize your body directly—you can _breath_ it." On the viewer, Shinji slowly nodded, and after a pause released a swarm of bubbles from his open mouth. When the bubbles had cleared, the bridge crew could see a much paler Third Child, leaning forward a bit and clutching his stomach.

_(Ugh . . . I think I'm going to be sick . . .)_

Ritsuko lips twitched at this comment, though inside her mind she cackled evilly, 'Not in that Entry Plug, if you know what's good for you . . .' Shaking her head, the blond scientist began making adjustments to the panel in front of her, readying the Evangelion for its first activation in . . . in a long time. After a moment, she noticed her protégé, Maya Ibuki, waving at her from the forward terminal.

"S-s-senpai, I think you want to look at this telemetry from the pilot . . ." Nodding, Ritsuko stood and walked over, trailed by a frowning Operations Director. Placing her hand on the short-haired brunette's shoulder, Ritsuko leaned forward to read the data on Maya's display, eyes widening as the numbers Shinji was putting out.

"What's wrong?" Ritsuko and a blushing Maya turned to Misato, standing behind them with arms folded and a worried expression on her face.

Frowning herself, Ritsuko replied, "Nothing's _wrong_ exactly, just . . . unusual." Turning back to the monitor, the faux blond continued, "The Third Child's readings are very good, almost abnormally good for your average 14-year old boy. His metabolic rate and neural activity are much higher than anything we could have expected, and every other vital center is working at peak, and I do mean _peak_ efficiency . . ." Tilting her head, Ritsuko glanced back at her purple-haired companion, "I guess you could say that, from a physiological standpoint, Shinji-kun is 'beyond the norm'." Misato's frown deepened.

"What does that mean, Ritsuko?" Smiling, NERV's Head Scientist stood and walked back to her desk, patting her friend on the shoulder.

"I honestly don't know, Misato . . ." Sitting down, she called up a picture of the rampaging Third Angel on her viewer, "And right now we have bigger concerns."

Nodding once, Misato spun on her heel and called out, "Prepare for EVA-01 activation!"

The techs in front her, nicknamed the "Bridge Bunnies" by the way they scurried about, immediately began typing on their respective consoles, calling out the results of each step in the activation process. Things proceeded smoothly as Unit-01 was prepared to link up with its young pilot's harried mind. Finally the ego-border was reached, the Evangelion's systems roared to life, and after a short countdown all eyes turned to the display showing Shinji's synchronization ratio. For a moment no one said anything, but eventually a high and strangled voice broke the silence.

"Synch-synchronization r-ratio . . . 0.0. Activation . . . failed." Shigeru Aoba finally croaked out. Behind his thron . . . desk, the oft-called Supreme Bastard King frowned mightily, though it was hidden by his tightly clenched hands. This was not in the scenario . . .

Sensing his former pupil's ire, the more eloquent Vice Commander Kouzou Fuyutski stood and addressed the bridge, "What seems to be the problem?" His response at first was the rapid clicking of keys as the techs hurried to find a solution.

Maya was the first to speak, "Unknown, sir. A signal is being registered from both the EVA and the Third  
Child, and for a moment there was partial synchronization."

Makoto Hyuga chimed in, "Currently showing rapid fluctuation from Unit-01. The EVA seems to detect the pilot's presence, but is having difficulty establishing a connection . . ." Fuyutski frowned, for this was certainly an unexpected development.

"Solutions?" Silence fell over the bridge, as each person tried to think of something that would fix the unplanned circumstance. It was not the Commanders, the Directors, or even the Bridge Bunnies that finally spoke though, but the young boy still drinking blood-colored fluid and waiting for something to happen.

_(Ano . . . Misato-_san_, what's going on?)_ Misato smiled with hidden relief—he was finally speaking to her again—and calmly she spoke into her microphone.

"Just a slight glitch, Shinji-_kun_, nothing to worry about . . ." After a pause to gather herself, she continued, "The EVA seems to be having trouble locking on to your brain-pattern, so I'm going to need you to concentrate. Rather than what's in front of you, focus on Unit-01 . . . imagine that its body is your body, its arms and legs are your arms and legs. Try to become the Evangelion, Shinji-_kun_." Shinji just blinked for a few moments, but then he nodded.

_(I-I'll try, Misato-_san Misato smiled as the boy closed his eyes, his eyebrows furrowing in concentration. Beside her, the blond-haired scientist gave an appreciative whistle.

"Not bad, Katsuragi . . ." Misato grinned wolfishly, then tilted her head back to wink.

"I try my best, Rits-_chan_."

* * *

Inside the Entry Plug, the newly appointed Savior of Humanity was struggling to follow his Operations Director's somewhat ambiguous directions. As was typical for him, Shinji had thought up a new mantra to try and help him. 

'Become the EVA . . . Become the EVA . . . Become the EVA . . . Become the EVA . . .'

Had he not been focusing so hard on mental repetition, Shinji might have noticed a faint pulsing sensation in his upper back, as two small growths began calling out in perfect time to his words.

_

* * *

_

_Hyperspace. The Sea of Dirac. Hammerspace. All words used to describe the Realm between Realms, the infinite expanse of primal energy where time and space held no meaning. It was here that _it_ rested when it was not needed, always keeping silent vigil over its host, its master. Floating in the void, _it_ endlessly waited for the moment when it would finally be needed, when he would call out and summon _it_ to action._

Its_ true designation was Bio-booster Unit-G, and its current host a premature human male. The Unit had sensed distress and possible danger from its master several times in the recent past, and each time it had pleaded for activation so that together they could destroy that which threatened him. But each time it had been rejected, so it remained, floating in the sea of burning energy as it waited to finally be recognized._

_Suddenly, the Unit sensed its master calling out, but not to it . . . rather, it was to another weak signal located in the same physical realm as the host. With what could be equated to puzzlement, the Unit began analyzing the strange new signal through the organism receptors on the host's back. The signal's origin was another bio-mechanoid, similar in nature to the Unit, if lacking in some sophistication. Contacting the other's memory and AI confirmed that the new bio-mech was a friendly, offering little or no threat to the Unit's host entity._

_With the analysis complete and the safety of the master confirmed, the medallion that served as the Unit's central processor began pulsating with greater and greater frequency. Working in conjunction with the organism receptors, it established a link from the host to the other bio-mech, internally cataloguing the other as an Alternative Unit of Unknown Configuration._

* * *

In the Command Center, every monitor suddenly lit up as synchronization was confirmed between EVA Unit-01 and Shinji Ikari. Cheers of joy and triumph erupted across the bridge, and a small smirk worked its way onto Gendo Ikari's face, though again no one could see it. Smiling broadly, the Vice Commander slowly got everyone to settle back down, and then made a query as to the Third Child's synch ratio. Once again the Bridge Bunnies fingers flew across their keyboards as they called up the relevant data. Once again there was a shocked silence until the long-haired Aoba spoke up. 

"A-amazing! We're showing a 67 percent synchronization between the Third Child and Unit-01!" Gasps echoed across the bridge, and at his desk Gendo allowed his smirk to grow a little larger, though internally he was laughing his ass off at the ignorant peons below. After a pause, Misato spoke into her microphone, with more than a little bit of concern in her voice.

"Shinji-_kun_, how do you feel?" The boy on the viewer groaned slightly and scratched his head.

_(Okay, I guess . . . a little strange maybe. I-I feel like I'm two places at once. I'm here in the cockpit . . . but I'm also outside, and heavier . . . I don't know)_ Ritsuko traded places with Misato at the mike.

"That's perfectly normal, Shinji-_kun_. The other things you're feeling are the sensations experienced by the Evangelion. In addition to being you, you are also now, for all intents and purposes, EVA Unit-01." Shinji nodded to show his understanding, and Misato moved away from Ritsuko to take center stage.

"Prepare Unit-01 for launch!" At the Operations Director's order, the Bridge Bunnies turned back to their stations, monitoring the artificial behemoth as it was moved into position onto one of NERV's many launching platforms. After confirming the route that would take the EVA into the most advantageous position against the Angel, Makoto signaled the Command crew's readiness. Grinning widely, Katsuragi Misato issued her next command like she had been born to say it.

"Launch EVA!"

END CHAPTER ONE

TRANSLATION GUIDE

Otou-_san_: Father.  
Ano: Sound of uncertainty; equivalent to "uh".  
Kami-_sama_: In the Japanese Budo-Shinto tradition, the equivalent of God or a higher being.  
Senpai: Roughly translates to "senior"; used by a person of lower standing to a person of higher rank/class/position.  
-_san_: Equivalent to Mr./Ms./Mrs.; used when formally addressing an individual, and almost always when a subordinate addresses a superior or elder person.  
-_kun_: Used in causal/friendly relationships, typically with males, and most often as a sign of light affection from a superior to a subordinate. Also used between people of the same age who share friendly relations.

**Author's Notes:** And so ends the first chapter of my very first fanfic! Thank you very much for taking the time to read "Out of Control"—I hope the story caught your interest! Please let me know if I've made any factual or grammatical errors in writing this story. I know that I'm not the best writer in the vastness of the fanfic community, but I would like to get better. So please, any constructive criticism that you readers can provide to help me improve would be most appreciated. Also, feel free to raise any questions or issues you have with the changes I've made to the EVA continuity—I'll try to answer your queries to the best of my ability!

To explain where this story came from, as a fan of both "Evangelion" and "Guyver," this is one story idea out of many fanfic ideas I've thought up over the last few years. Since I'm a little unsure about my ability to weave an enticing tale, and because there was only one other EVA/Guyver crossover on I decided to go with this idea first because I figured it would be the easiest and most fun to try, plus it would make for good practice before attempting other stories. The general premise began as "What would happen if Shinji had a Guyver Unit?", and quickly grew from there. In the end, I hope that "Out of Control" will be a story that Evangelion fans unfamiliar with the world of "Bio-booster Armor Guyver" can still enjoy. For those who would like to know a little more about what Guyver is, here are the datafiles I promised at the beginning . . .

**DATAFILE:** "Bio-Booster Armor Guyver"

A long-running manga series in Japan, "Kyoushoku Soukou Guyver" is the brainchild of manga writer/artist Yoshiki Takaya. In addition to the popular manga series (which is nearing book 25, though only the first 7 were published in the US), "Bio-booster Armor Guyver" has also spawned a 12-episode OVA anime series, a one-shot OVA movie, and two AU live-action movies (oddly featuring an American Guyver).

The main story centers around Sho Fukamachi, a 17-year old boy who one day encounters a mysterious alien device while walking home from school. An accidental activation causes the biomechanical organism to bond with Sho, and together they form the Guyver—an immensely powerful, bio-enhancing armor system. Now known as Guyver I, Sho and his friends Tetsuro and Misuki Segawa must escape the clutches of the evil Chronos Corporation, who wish to use the power of the Guyver Unit as part of their plans for world domination. Together with the somewhat shifty Guyver III, Sho defends his friends and the world from Cronos and their shape-shifting, genetically engineered soldiers, the Zoanoids.

**DATAFILE:** Bio-booster Unit-G; "Guyver" Bio-booster Armor

The Bio-booster Unit-G is a multi-purpose device created by aliens who visited planet Earth billions of years ago. When bonded with a human host, the Unit-G has the unexpected effect of freeing the host from all forms of outside telepathic control or communication. Hence, those ancient visitors dubbed the resulting creature, "Guyver," for "out of control" or "beyond the norm".

The Unit-G itself consists of a parasitic, genetically-engineered bio-boosting organism, and a control medallion that regulates the growth and function of the bio-booster as well as the connection between Unit and host. When activated, the bio-booster acts much like a symbiote, completely absorbing the host and forming a nearly impervious suit of armor around it. In exchange for the host's bio-energy, the Guyver unit boosts the host's strength, speed, and agility to nearly 100 times their normal capacity. In addition, numerous weapons systems emerge on various locations on the armor. These weapons include: a high intensity laser (mounted on the forehead), a pair of sonic emitters (which project high frequency sonic waves, located on the mouth), a pair of high frequency vibrational blades (mounted on the wrists, these are the same as progressive knives), a gravity control orb (on the waist, this allows for flight, the creation of shields, and a ki-ball style attack called the Pressure Cannon), and most powerful of all, the Megasmasher (mounted beneath the chestplates, think full-on Kamehameha Wave). Lastly, a pair of sensory orbs, mounted in grooves alongside the headpiece, allow the Guyver to "see" great distances in all directions.

When not in use, the armor can be stored safely in a pocket dimension (hyperspace) with the only visible trace of its existence being a pair of growths located on the host's back. These organisms allow the host to summon the armor back from hyperspace, as well as communicate telepathically with other Guyvers. The only time the armor can not be removed immediately is when the host is injured and the armor is repairing the damage. The regenerative abilities of the Guyver are so great that only a small piece of bio-booster material needs to be connected to the Control Medallion for complete regeneration. At times when the host is knocked unconscious due their injuries, the Guyver is capable of going into a self-defense mode, where it will instantly attack and destroy anything it perceives as a threat to the host (AN: gee, that doesn't sound familiar . . . ).

**AN:** I hope these datafiles are a help to those readers unfamiliar with "Guyver". While I don't want to ruin the story, I do realize that Guyver is one of the lesser-known anime/mangas out there, so I hope this information will add to this work rather than detract from it.

To those fans of Guyver who were disappointed with this chapter, fear not! There will be much more bio-boostin' action as the story progresses, and as Shinji comes to realize the coolness of his "wicked awesome bio-boostin' armor look"! Guyver characters both old and new will make their appearance in the EVA world, and with each chapter the line where Evangelion begins and Guyver ends will become less and less distinct. All is going according to the scenario, so hang in there!

And before you all go . . .

OMAKE!

_**AN: **What we really wanted to see happen during the reunion of the two Ikaris . . ._

"Correct." The booming voice momentarily caused Shinji's heart to stop beating, and when it started again, he chided himself for startling so easily. Adopting a grimace as his base expression, Shinji looked up to the source of the intruding presence.

High above on a platform above EVA Unit-01, standing like some sort of ancient idol or demigod, Gendo Ikari glowered down at his son, his expression somewhat hidden by LCL-colored glasses. The Supreme Commander of NERV watched silently as the boy's expression shifted from grimace to hateful frown, his right hand clenching and unclenching compulsively. To Gendo, the child seemed to be at a loss for words.

In actuality, Shinji had several things which he wanted to say to the Almightly Bastard King, most of which would make even a loud red-headed German blush. However, at the moment he was to busy trying to mentally restrain _it _from letting loose and tearing his father a new one. His heartbeat sounded like tympani in his ears, and the usual whisper had become a desperate scream for attention.

_ENEMY! ENEMY! ENEMY! _

'I mustn't lose control, I mustn't lose control, I musn't lose contr—oh, hell with it!'

Leering for a moment, Gendo took in his son's apparent deference before speaking again, "It's been awhi . . ." He never had a chance to finish. Unexpectedly, an immense beam of green light engulfed Gendo, blasted into the Geofront, and then tore through all 22 armored plates above before finally exiting into the open air. Surprisingly enough, the Third Angel, Sachiel just happened to be standing nearby when the beam emerged, vaporizing his core as it made its way out into the upper atmosphere. His body exploded shortly thereafter, and throughout Tokyo-3 there was much rejoicing.

Back on the EVA dock, an open-mouthed Ritsuko and Misato turned to Shinji, now covered in shiny, chitinous plates of armor with a mesh of darkly-colored fleshy coils beneath. Glowing eyes remained fixed on the spot where Gendo had previously stood while one hand closed a chest-plate to his new attire, sealing away the gelatinous lens that gave new meaning to the phrase "concealed weapon." After a pause, Shinji turned to the two women, then bowed his head, hands fidgeting behind his back. When he finally spoke, his voice was slightly digitized, as if coming through an electronic speaker.

"S-s-s-sorry, Mi-Misato-_san_ and Akagi-_san_. I-I-I guess I ju-just couldn't hold back anymore." Anyone within hearing range of the armored being's bashful apology immediately fell to the floor.

Looking between the new Shinji and the still smoldering tunnel, both Ritsuko and Misato blinked a few times then eventually shrugged. Walking forward, Misato put a hand on the teen's armored shoulder, "Don't worry about it, Shinji-_kun_—people have been wanting to do that ever since he banned Dr. Pepper from the vending machines." Behind the Captain, Ritsuko nodded sagely.

Had anyone been watching Unit-01, they might have seen its eyes start to glow slightly, reflecting its captive soul's deep-felt pride.

'That's my boy!' thought a smiling Yui Ikari.

END OMAKE

**AN:** That's all for now! Mares Guyver, signing off.


	2. Chapter 2: Angel Attack!

Standard Disclaimer: "Neon Genesis Evangelion" and "Bio-booster Armor Guyver" are the creative property of Hideaki Anno and Yoshiki Takaya respectively.

Other Standard Disclaimer: This fanfic is rated PG-13 (or T) for violence, swearing, and mild sexual references.

KEY  
"spoken"  
'thoughts'  
_(radio communication)_

Out of Control  
A Neon Genesis Evangelion/  
Bio-booster Armor Guyver Fusion  
By: Mares Guyver

Chapter 2: Angel Attack!

The Third Angel, Sachiel, was growing . . . impatient.

The Lilium had proven to be a most annoying set of organisms, delaying its ability to respond to the Father's call at every turn. First, they had constructed this elaborate series of structures through which it was forced to maneuver. Then they had used strange projectiles to sting at it and even pierce its thick hide, nothing that its barrier field couldn't repel or body couldn't regenerate from, but irritating nonetheless. Now it was forced to use up priceless energy to try and break open the underground construct from which he felt the all-consuming call. Yes, Sachiel was a short fuse waiting to blow, but the Angel's limited intelligence prevented it from acting on anything akin to passion. Rather, it concentrated on its primary task of locating and merging with the broken body of the Father . . . and destroying whatever happened to get in its way.

The blaring of an air horn made the Angel pause momentarily, and it turned in the direction of this new, strange noise. Through eyeless sockets, it observed the ground several strides in front of it open, a pair of long extensions rising from the new aperture. Soon a low rumble could be heard, rising rapidly in pitch to a glass-shattering screech as a large figure emerged from the hole, its sensory stump snapping up as it reached the peak of the extensions. After a pause, the new creature slumped forward then took a somewhat wobbly step towards the Angel. As soon as its bottom limb had touched the ground, the purple creature teetered and started to fall forward, but one of its top limbs shot out and grabbed on of the many shiny structures surrounding the two giants. Leaning to one side, the newcomer pulled itself back upright before facing Sachiel once more.

In response, the Angel just turned around and blasted another hole in the underground construct. Since the new creature felt very similar to itself (more so than the Lilium, anyway), and judging from its apparent incompetence, Sachiel felt safe concluding that the purple beast was no threat to its existence. If the newcomer did engage it, then the Angel would simply crush the creature.

* * *

Inside the Entry Plug of EVA Unit-01, Shinji felt a bead of sweat roll down the back of his head before it dissolved in the LCL. Apparently, the ultimate weapon created by mankind wasn't all that impressive to the Angel—it had simply dismissed him and gone back to blasting crucifix-shaped explosions into the ground. Groaning slightly, he rubbed the side of his right arm—the same arm that he had willed the EVA to plow into the side of a building to keep the mecha from falling.

'Pain . . . but not from my body. I guess Akagi-_san_ was right when she said I had become Unit-01 . . . I feel whatever it feels.' Shinji glared slightly at the radio from which Misato's voice was screaming instructions to him, 'Of course, they could have told me that _earlier_, but _nooooo_ . . .'

Sighing, Shinji sat back in the pilot seat, and fixed his eyes on the Angel, whose back was still to him. Ignoring Misato's ranting, Shinji instead concentrated on the events of a few moments before, when he had first "lifted off" from the launch rack that brought him to the surface. As instructed by Misato, he had concentrated on the thought of walking, and less than a second later, the Unit-01 had lifted one foot and stepped forward. Immediately after that though, the EVA seemed to lose its balance and fall forward. Had Shinji not told Unit-01 to grab the nearest skyscraper, the supreme fighting machine would have made a spectacular face-dive into the pavement below.

Frowning, Shinji mused over the incident, 'Why did the EVA suddenly trip? Shouldn't it have its own sense of balance—after all, it's just a robot, right?' The pain in Shinji's arm, though, seemed to put that thought into doubt, and closing his eyes he considered this piece of evidence, 'EVA's pain is my pain . . . the EVA's actions are the thoughts I make, so EVA's thoughts are my thoughts . . . Is EVA's mind, then, my mind?'

Shinji's eyes snapped open in revelation—the EVA's mind _was_ his mind, at least to some extent. That was why he felt so disconnected from himself, simultaneously in his own body in the plug and at the same outside of it, looming above the streets below. The loss of balance came from the fact that his mind was still cued to his body, which had a much different center of gravity than the 100-meter biomechanical monster he now inhabited. If he was going to be able to pilot the EVA effectively, Shinji would have to start thinking of it wholly as his own body, rather than a machine that he was controlling from within.

'EVA is just like a larger version of . . . _it_.' thought Shinji. 'Whenever that thing consumes me, I don't feel like I'm trapped inside some oozing monster—_it's_ skin and arms and legs become mine . . . I _fully_ become one with _it_.' Suppressing a shutter at the memories that threatened to emerge, Shinji closed his eyes and instead focused on the barely perceptible sensations of the outside world—the sensations he received via his link to Unit-01. His brows furrowed as he struggled to make those sensations more intense, and the sensations from inside the plug a mere whisper. All that time, he continued to chant the mantra he had adopted when he first synched with the Evangelion, the growths on his back pulsating with greater and greater intensity.

* * *

"Why the Hell aren't you attacking, Shinji-_kun_?" Misato screamed into her mike, her eyes practically bursting out of their sockets from the strain. Again though, the boy on the monitor paid her no heed, keeping his eyes closed, and murmuring something too low for the speakers to pick up. Sighing, Misato turned away from the cockpit monitor and walked over to the three technicians at the front of the bridge. Placing her hand on Motoko's headrest, she asked, "Status of the Angel?"

The bespectacled tech glanced at Misato, then turned back to his console, "No change registered in the Angel's activity, Ma'am. The Third Angel is continuing to blast holes through 13 to 14 of the armored layers above at a time. At its current rate of fire and excavation, the Angel should be able to begin descent in approximately eight min . . ."

"SENPAI! Shin . . . the Third Child, his synch ratio, it's skyrocketing!" Maya cut in, "Passing 80 percent . . . 90 percent . . . 100 . . . 110, passing 120 percent synchronization!"

"His neural activity is all over the place, heart rate increasing rapidly!" the long-haired Shigeru chimed in.

"Shinji-_kun_!" Misato yelled desperately, her eyes fixed on the feed from Unit-01's Entry Plug, which showed a rapidly convulsing Third Child. She turned with pleading eyes to the three figures behind her, "Ritsuko? Commander?"

Ritsuko pursed her lips, "Prepare for emergency plug ejecti . . ."

"Belay that order." All eyes turned to the Commander, light glaring off his glasses and hands still clasped in front of his face. In a slow, almost casual voice, he continued, "The Angel still needs to be destroyed, so let's see what the pilot can do."

Misato's jaw dropped, and her voice was weak as she tried to speak, "B-but Shinji . . . and Unit-01 . . ." Then a soft voice, wavering with wonder and a hint of fear, spoke up.

"The Third Child's synch ratio . . . has stabilized. Synchronization . . . 184 percent." Maya finished, gasps echoing around the bridge. At his desk, Gendo faltered momentarily, but then spread his gloved hands a little wider in a futile attempt to cover his now _very_ apparent grin. Whether that grin was one of pride, pleasure or success however was a complete mystery.

After a brief silence, Ritsuko finally gave word to what everyone was thinking, "Im-impossible! No one can have _that_ high a synch ratio on their first activation!" Anger laced the blond scientist's voice, but even she wasn't sure as to whom or what it was directed.

Silence once again descended on the Command Center until the radio crackled to life, _(Mi-Misato-_san_? Misato-_san_, I did it!)_

Everyone turned to look at the viewer, which showed the Third Child, head bowed so that his bangs covered his eyes, and panting as if from extreme exertion. Grabbing a mike, Misato closed her eyes to gather herself, then spoke softly and calmly to the young pilot, "What did you do, Shinji-_kun_?"

As if in answer, Shinji tilted his head upwards enough so that his entire face became visible. Once again gasps echoed throughout the bridge as they took in the change to his appearance. The most noticeable change was in the eyes, which were now glazed over and unfocused, and didn't match up with the beaming smile on the boy's face.

Taken aback, Misato managed to stammer, "Sh-Shinji-_kun_?" On the screen, Shinji's smile turned soft as he closed his eyes.

_(I can feel the concrete crunching beneath my feet . . . I can hear the air whistling over the tops of each building . . . I can see the towers of Tokyo-2 glinting on the horizon . . .)_ Shinji's eyes opened again, his gaze still unfocused and clouded, _(I-I have every one of EVA's senses as my own . . . I have become—I am EVA Unit-01!)_

And indeed he was. Though Shinji could still feel an inkling of sensation from his body in the Entry Plug, the vast majority of his senses had switched over to those of the Evangelion. Gazing outward through the purple beast's glowing eyes, Shinji observed the Angel in front of him with much greater clarity than the viewscreens in the cockpit had allowed. Each of his senses felt sharper, heightened by his increased connection with the EVA. Looming above the streets of Tokyo-3, Shinji could feel the incredible weight of Unit-01's machinery and armor as his own, as well as the slight tug provided by the power cord affixed to "his" back. But none of these new sensations though, were the greatest change for Shinji.

For the young EVA pilot, by far the greatest alteration was the almost euphoric sense of comfort he was receiving from inside "himself." This feeling had merely been a tickle in the back of his mind when he had first linked with the Evangelion, and since then he had been too distracted by the situation to really notice it. Now though, the soothing warmth was almost overwhelming, blanketing his mind in a calm embrace where all doubts, all anxieties, all worries about the world around him simply faded away. The feeling was . . . familiar, and the way he experienced it reminded Shinji a lot of the urgent whisperings he received from _it_ whenever he was in danger. Unlike _it_ though, the feelings he was receiving from the EVA were far less violent and insistent, and they also came in the form of raw emotion and abstract thought, rather than actual words.

_Familiarity . . . Speculation . . . Recognition! . . . JOY! . . . Happiness . . . **Love **. . ._

Just as Shinji started to lose himself in the tsunami of emotion, Misato's urgent voice jarred him back to reality, _(Shinji-_kun The EVA's eyes blinked in tune with Shinji's own, and though he could no longer "see" the screens in the cockpit, the perception of Misato's worried face still worked its way to the front of the boy's mind.

"S-s-sorry, Misato-_san_ . . . the EVA, its feelings are . . . really powerful." The perception of the purple-haired Captain's relieved smile eased Shinji's embarrassment.

_(It's okay, Shinji-_kun_ . . . do you feel like you're still able to fight? I don't want to pressure you, but the Angel is going to be able to enter the Geofront any minute now . . .)_

Shinji/Unit-01's eyes narrowed in determination, "I'm okay, Misato-_san_ . . . you said that red orb in the center was the Angel's core, right? So all I have to do is destroy it to beat the Angel?"

Back in the Command Center, Misato eyes widened, and then she grinned, 'So, he _was_ paying attention earlier—not just ignoring me . . .' Nodding, she said out-loud, "That's right Shinji-_kun_, the Angel's S2 engine is its main source of energy. Destroy it, and the Angel will be defeated."

_(Understood.) _Shinji answered, his blank eyes still staring out at everything, and nothing.

On the surface, Shinji/Unit-01 slowly let go of the building next to it and shuffled forward experimentally. He began wobbling, so the boy reached back and grabbed the dented building again until his bearing had stabilized. Inside the Entry Plug, Shinji smiled grimly and shook his head—he mind still hadn't adjusted to the EVA's weight and equilibrium. Then again, it wasn't everyday that one gained a couple hundred tons of mass.

_Hurt . . . Betrayal . . ._

Shinji blinked at the sudden change in the emotional flow from EVA Unit-01, then tentatively sent a thought out into the void, 'Ehh . . . sorry?'

_Acceptance._

Shaking his head at the incredulity of it all, Shinji/Unit-01 turned his eyes back towards the Third Angel, who was still busy blasting at the growing hole right in front of it. Releasing "his" hand from the building again, Shinji/Unit-01 lowered himself into a crouching position, arms extended forward and back for balance.

'Maybe if I just focus on what's right in front of me, my equilibrium will just sort itself out . . .' That thought in mind, Shinji/Unit-01 crouched down a little further before blasting himself forward. Keeping his glowing eyes locked on the Angel, Shinji/Unit-01 took several city-block wide strides before leaping into the air and shoving both of his feet into the Third Angel's back. As Sachiel flew forward over the hole it had created, Shinji/EVA-01 pushed off from the Angel and backflipped before landing on the ground, one hand digging into the pavement to slow its backwards slide. Just ahead, a cloud of dust erupted as the Angel of Water's beak-like mask kissed the tarred concrete.

Inside the EVA, Shinji felt a rush of adrenaline that reminded him of the few times he had summoned _it _to help him. Like those exhilarating yet painful moments, Shinji could feel the raw power of the Evangelion's biomechanical muscles flowing through his own limbs—they were _his _muscles, the power _his_ to command. The EVA's speed, strength, and agility all felt perfectly natural, as if Shinji had always possessed those fantastic capabilities. His lips twitched as a cocky grin threatened to spread over his face, but he suppressed it—the pain from the EVA's armored mouth as it tried to mimic the gesture was simply too much to bear.

Outside, the Third Angel finally managed to push itself upright on its spindly arms and legs. Crouching on its knees, Sachiel turned back to glare at the strange purple creature that had interrupted it, _again_. Deciding that it time to teach the newcomer the virtue of _non_interference, the Angel allowed its inner power to build before releasing it with a telltale flashing of its eye sockets.

Misato screamed a warning over the comm line, but Shinji/Unit-01 had already leapt sideways as a cross-shaped beam of light blasted out from where he had just been standing. The giant mecha crashed headfirst into another building, and as he struggled to push himself back to his feet, Shinji/Unit-01 felt two slimy hands grab his wrists and yank his arms out from under him. Soon there was as increasing pressure in the middle of Shinji/Unit-01's back as the Angel pushed one three-toed foot hard against the beast's armored spine. Growling, Shinji/Unit-01 rolled sharply, tossing the broad-torsoed Angel clear before rising to his feet. Yelling at the top of his lungs, Shinji charged at Sachiel, one fist drawn back at the ready. As soon as he was close enough he threw his left fist forward, only to have it caught in the mitt-like hand of the Angel. Before Shinji/Unit-01 could react, Sachiel twisted its wrist and snapped the bones in the EVA's lower arm.

Unbelievable pain raced through Shinji's body in the Entry Plug. To the young boy, it felt like his entire arm had been broken, not just his left wrist, as both his and the EVA's body throbbed with the shared pain that came with increased synchronization. Sachiel wasn't done yet though. While Shinji/Unit-01 was distracted by his enhanced pain and words of reassurance from Misato, the Third Angel used its free arm to grab the robotic intruder by its head and raise it aloft. If the Child of Adam had been capable of the act, it would have smirked evilly as it let energy flow from its core to a diode located in its palm.

Slowly Shinji/Unit-01 became aware of a growing light right in front of his masked eye. Before he could react, nerves erupted in frenzied activity as his face encountered a force equivalent to a Mack truck slamming into it, again, and again, and again. In the Entry Plug, Shinji screamed in pain and terror as his right hand reflexively covered his right eye. Not even the worrying comfort from the Evangelion could ease the torment as his face was pounded by the Angel's pile-driveresque beam weapon. Suddenly, the armor of EVA Unit-01's mask gave way, and Shinji's eyes burst open as he felt the beam pass through both "his" skull and brain.

* * *

Elsewhere in different places around the world, four grown men screamed as they simultaneously felt a driving pain shoot through their minds. After a moment the sensation passed, but it took several minutes for each to stop shaking and panting heavily . . .

* * *

In the golden pyramid of Central Dogma below, multiple alarms screamed as each tried to convey their own particular woe over all of the others. The three strained voices of the Bridge Bunnies were almost drowned out as they confirmed system failure after system failure, their consoles lit up like traffic lights on crack. Amidst it all, Misato just stared at the viewer in front of her, eyes wide, mouth open and face drawn down with horror. The screen that had showed the interior of the EVA's Entry Plug now showed nothing but static, while the other showed an exterior view of the body of Unit-01, and the gaping hole gushing blood from its brain case.

"Shi . . . Shi . . . Shinji . . ." The purple-haired Captain's hand shot to her mouth, smothering both a sob and a tremendous urge to vomit. Looking back up at the monitor, she watched as the Third Angel ambled over to the prone body of the Evangelion. Straddling the bio-mechanoid, the broad creature began rhythmically banging the EVA's chest armor with double fists. The giant artificial human shuddered with each impact, its head loosely swinging and splattering blood on the Tokyo-3 streets in a grotesque imitation of Jackson Pollack. Soon Unit-01's armor began to warp, spiderweb-like cracks sprouting over its entire surface as the Third Angel's red-soaked hands continued to rain down upon it. Quivering lightly in her crimson uniform jacket, Misato's hands tightened into fists as angry tears glistened in the corners of her eyes.

"Stop it . . ." she muttered out loud, though inside Misato could hear herself scream, _'Stop that you bastard! Shinji-_kun

As if in answer to the Captain's hidden torment, Unit-01's eyes suddenly flashed a malevolent yellow-green. With surprising speed, the biomech swung its arms forward and grabbed both of the Third Angel's wrists, twisting them sharply with a satisfying 'crack'. Bringing one leg up, it kicked the dark-green Angel away before lurching to its size 200 feet. Armored plates snapped away as the giant purple beast unhinged its jaw, issuing a guttural howl that chilled any soul in hearing range.

Eyes wide, Misato rushed over to Maya's terminal and glanced at the turbulent display over the tech's shoulder, "What's going on? Is Shinji . . . ?"

"Unknown, we're still not receiving any readings from the pilot." Maya's hands danced over her keyboard as if her fingers were trying to conjure an explanation from nothingness. To her left, her two tan-clothed companions mirrored her movements as they too tried to make sense of the impossible.

"Confirmed, synchronization has ceased between Unit-01 and the Third Child. The EVA is acting independently," Makoto chimed in, and several faces in the Command Center instantly paled.

"Dear God . . ." Misato breathed, "Just like Unit-00 . . ."

Behind her, eyes still fixed to the viewer, Ritsuko nodded, "Berserker . . . out of control."

The entire bridge watched with horrified fascination as the unrestrained EVA Unit-01 charged at the Third Angel, bowling it over and plowing through several storage buildings in the process. The two titans rolled on the ground, grappling with each other like the wrestlers of Ancient Greece, neither willing to concede defeat to the other. Eventually, Unit-01 managed to seize the superior position, straddling the Angel to the ground with its own arms twisted beneath it. Growling savagely, the EVA began pounding on Sachiel's exposed core with its one good arm, bringing its armored fist down so hard on the scarlet orb that cracks erupted in the pavement below. Suddenly a wall of glowing orange hexagons erupted between the Angel and the EVA Unit, holding back the purple beast's arm in mid-swing.

"AT-Field!" exclaimed Shigeru.

"The strength of the Third Angel's field is comparable to EVA's, if not stronger." added Makoto.

"So . . . the Angels have those too," murmured Misato.

Back on the battleground, Unit-01 drew back slightly from the glowing wall of energy. Head lowered, and eyes narrowed into a close approximation of a sneer, the biomechanoid raised its left arm and flicked its broken wrist. Instantly the crushed bones and armored plates reset themselves, and following a pause, the fingers of the purple gauntlet slowly curled into a fist.

"Complete regeneration of the left arm confirmed. All neural links and feedback have been reestablished." Makoto intoned, summarizing the information his display was giving him. His eyes widened as a completely new set of readings flashed into life, "EVA Unit-01 is deploying its own AT-Field!"

Ritsuko's eyes narrowed slightly, "What does it hope to accomplish . . . ?"

Atop his dais, Gendo just kept smirking.

On the viewer, all those present observed as the purple behemoth held both hands up against the Angel's glowing wall of protection. Soon, a tear in the field's consistency developed, and Unit-01's arms slowly separated as it adjusted the frequency of its AT-Field to cancel out that of the Third Angel's. Roaring, the monstrous android finally thrust its arms apart completely, and the orange hexagons separating it from its prey shattered before dissipating into nothingness. Free of any restriction, Unit-01 launched itself onto Sachiel, pinning the Angel to the ground while one hand tugged at its mask and the other squeezed the cracked red surface of the Third's core.

Just when it seemed that the crimson orb was going to burst from the strain, Sachiel's body became fluidic, twisting itself out of the Evangelion's grip and wrapping itself around the purple battle machine before solidifying. It knew that it failed the Father, its Creator and master, but if it was going to lose then it would take the devilish defender of the Lilium to oblivion as well. With a thought, it allowed all regulation of the power in its core to cease, and soon the Third Angel felt tremendous pressure as power built up in its core unheeded.

In the Command Center, the crew watched as the Angel's core flared with brilliant white light, and then gasped as the area around Unit-01 and the Third Angel erupted in a gigantic crucifix of holy fire. Any displays showing indication of activity from the Evangelion darkened as all contact was lost. For several minutes the entire bridge held its breath, waiting for the flames to clear so that they could see the damage caused by the Third Angel's self-destruction. Then a shadow appeared, making its way through the flames onto the uncharred surface of Tokyo-3. The hulking silhouette with shining eyes soon became more distinct, and the visage of its signature horned mask brought cheers to the Geofront.

Suddenly the consoles on the Command deck lit up as telemetry shot back from the damaged Evangelion to its handlers. Maya, Shigeru, and Makoto each turned their attention back to their respective keyboards, but behind them Misato stood still, her eyes fixed on the almost demonic silhouette of Unit-01. Slowly, her hand reached up to grasp a white cross hanging around her neck, and for a moment she just stared and took in the dark form of the Evangelion—one that reminded her of a glowing being that had haunted her nightmares for as long as she could remember.

"Is . . . is that EVA's true form?" she whispered to the air, her revere soon broken by a joyful exclamation from Maya.

"We're getting readings from the pilot!" The brunette Lieutenant paused to examine the new data coming from inside the Entry Plug before speaking again, "He's unconscious, but aside from a few bruises he seems to be perfectly fine!"

'Shinji . . .' Inconspicuously, Misato let out a silent sigh of relief, though her act was still observed with amusement by Ritsuko. Smiling with renewed confidence, Misato strode forward to stand beside the three Bridge Bunnies, "Let's see if we can get communication restored with the Entry Plug."

"Yes, ma'am!" the three technicians replied enthusiastically.

Smiling at the almost jovial activity below, Sub-Commander Fuyutski turned to his erstwhile pupil, still staring out at the charred and bloodied Evangelion in his trademark pose. Leaning over, the polished former professor stated, "Your boy did well today, Ikari-_san_." Gendo grunted, and finally lowered his hands to his desk.

"He performed as I expected him to perform, no more, no less." Fuyutski could only shake his head at this remark—the man _stil_l wouldn't acknowledge that Shinji had done something worth praise or even noting. With a long sigh, he turned his head back to the viewer, which was just then clearing enough to show the extent of the battle's destruction. The elder man almost blanched as he calculated the cost of repairs that were going to be necessary to restore Tokyo-3, not to mention the cleaning bill.

"Unit-01 certainly did a number on that Angel . . ." Fuyutski stated as he took in the sheer level of gore covering the city streets. Beside him, Gendo grinned wickedly, his gleaming lenses adding a malicious air to his expression.

"Well you know what they say, Sensei . . ." he said, turning to look at his curious companion, "'Hell hath no fury like a woman . . .'" With his statement lingering in the air, Gendo pressed the button that would take him and his desk back to his cavernous office. Shaking his head with amusement, Fuyutski stepped forward to oversee the follow-up operations to the Angel's attack.

"You're wrong, Gendo . . ." NERV's Sub-commander muttered once his superior was out of sight, "That wasn't the motivating force at play today. Not at all . . ." For a moment, Fuyutski's face softened as pleasant memories of a time long past played in his mind.

'Indeed, save for life itself, there is no power greater than that of a mother protecting her young . . .'

_

* * *

_

_Somewhere between the world of dreams and reality, the thin body of a young boy floated in an infinite span of darkness. There was no sound, no smells, no sensory references of any kind, but despite the sheer amount of nothingness that surrounded him, the boy felt at peace. Just as there was no pleasant sensation, there was also no pain, and no thoughts that could produce pain. He was alone, but that suited him just fine for the moment._

_Slowly though, the boy became aware of a soft warmness caressing his cool body. It was not a physical sensation per se, but rather a quivering sense of emotion that lightly embraced his tired soul, offering the comfort and compassion that the boy had lacked for a seeming eternity. The change was welcome, and the feeling recognizable, though the boy could not remember distinctly where or when he had felt this state of pure content before. New sensations now . . . a glow in the distance, though the boy could not make out the shape contained within. Words, contained in a melody like honey and sunshine, tickled his mind, and once again he felt an overwhelming sense of familiarity, though he still failed to make the connection in his memory._

"Wake up, my darling Shinji . . . it's time for you to go back to the world of the living."

_The glowing light became blinding, and the boy felt himself being pulled out of the soothing comfort into a world of pain and agony. Just before the peaceful realm faded away, the form in front of him took on a more distinctive silhouette, and a memory long buried rose to the surface of the boy's consciousness. A single word formed and made its way to his mouth just as the endless void faded to nothing._

"Okaa-_san_."

* * *

In the Entry Plug of Evangelion Unit-01, Shinji Ikari groaned as his eyelids fluttered open, and then immediately shut as a hand shot to his throbbing forehead. Wincing at the fading sting from Sachiel's beam attack, the Third Child allowed his eyes to open once again and take note of his surroundings. Gazing downward, Shinji felt relieved that even though his body felt like it been at Ground Zero at Hiroshima, his form was virtually unscathed. His personal structural integrity confirmed, the boy tilted his head up to take in the conditions outside . . . and immediately felt his jaw drop.

He and Unit-01 stood on the edge of a crater extending nearly two kilometers into the center of Tokyo-3. Smoke billowed from the multiple fires the dotted the interior, and along the rim storage towers with chucks of their sides blown off teetered back and forth, as if waiting for a signal to just fall over and die. Giant desecrated chucks of what had been the Third Angel also littered the area, and both blue and red streaks of liquid was smeared across buildings and pooling at the EVA's feet. If the so-called Angel had intended all along to bring Hell to humanity, then it seemed to have succeeded.

'Did . . . did I do this?' Shinji wondered as he took in the nightmarish vista.

After a long moment of gazing at the apocalyptic landscape, Shinji eventually turned his focus back to himself and EVA Unit-01. He immediately guessed that his synch ratio must have dropped back to its initial level, as his perception of the EVA's senses had dimmed considerably. Even with reduced connection, the boy could feel the heavy damage that the mecha had taken—the more severe ones mirrored in fading bruises on his own body. Though thoroughly scorched by the Angel's final attack, the armor that covered the majority of the robot had protected much of its underlying layers. Shinji wasn't sure how the left arm had healed so quickly, but he was grateful, the pain in his own arm having reduced to mild tingle. Multiple scores and shrapnel wounds also burned across the EVA's surface, though by far the most glaring wound was the blow to its head, which had cut off a whole half of its distinctive helmet.

Turning to his right viewer, Shinji could see the unmasked forehead of the EVA reflected in the mirrored surface of a skyscraper next to him. After a moment, the mecha's empty eye socket shifted, and a large green globule bubbled out to fill the cavity. The gobule twisted slightly, and then reformed into a perfectly human green eye, tilting slightly to look right at Shinji.

The boy sighed—at one time the slightly nauseating sight might have caused him to scream like a little girl, but right now he was too drained from the battle to really care that much. Squirming until he felt comfortable in the pilot seat, Shinji leaned back and closed his eyes, allowing himself to rest until communications with Misato and the others had been fixed.

A sudden rumble caused Shinji's eyes to shoot open and shift frantically left and right, looking for the source of the disturbance. He finally spotted a building on the opposite side of the crater, just as another section of skyscraper dislodged from its parent and plummeted to the ground. The rest of the structure didn't look too stable either, wobbling so much that Shinji thought that just blowing on the thing would cause it to crumble. Shaking his head, Shinji began settling back in his chair again when a sudden movement on the ground below the collapsing building caught his eye. Focusing his awareness on the EVA's enhanced vision, Shinji allowed his sight to telescope until the figures scurrying on the ground became clearer and more distinct. The mecha's glowing eyes immediately widened in response to the Third Child's shock.

'People! Bu-but Misato said they were all in evacuation shelters!' Shinji's mind screamed in guilty horror. After taking a few quick breaths to settle, the boy tried to assess the new situation, 'Okay, those people must have come out thinking it was safe, then gotten caught by the falling debris. Damn . . . there might be people still trapped over there, and the building's about to go! I've got to do something!'

Shinji quickly looked around the Entry Plug for anything resembling an "On" switch for the giant bio-mech. Nothing seemed to be available, and the buttons on the butterfly handles of his pilot seat had no effect when he pressed them. Head slumped, the brown-haired child racked his brain for an answer, then after a moment, tried willing the EVA into activation. The lights in the plug immediately flared to life, but then glared an angry red as a clock on the forward viewer started counting down from five minutes.

Knowing that no one would hear, the Third Child swore openly at the revelation of his limited battery life, then struggled to will the mighty android to its feet. The EVA's movements were sluggish compared to earlier, hampered by both Shinji's reduced synch ratio and the high level of injury it received while fighting the Third Angel. Eventually though, the artificial humanoid was standing tall and then dashing across the smoldering crater with the other side its intended finish line. Just as Shinji reached the epicenter of Sachiel's kamikaze maneuver, Misato's worried face popped up on an insert in front of him, startling the poor boy.

_(Shinji . . . ? Shinji-kun! Are you alright? We were worri . . .)_ Misato began, but the recipient of her call cut her off with a quick head jerk.

"Can't talk . . . building falling . . . people trapped . . ." And with that quick explanation, Shinji focused on speeding forward to make up for lost time and power. On the insert, Misato's eyes widened as Shinji's short bursts finally sank in, but after a moment she settled into a confident smile.

_(We're sending emergency crews to your location right away. Stay where you are—we'll be there soon)_ Shinji could only grunt in reply as he willed the EVA unit to leap up the incline of the crater's rim, landing lightly right in front of the swaying and pocketmarked skyscraper. Noting that Unit-01's battery life was in the single digits, Shinji unhesitantly leaned the mecha forward and used its lengthy arms to wrap the structure in a gigantic bear hug. Quickly but carefully, the Evangelion took a step forward and pressed the brunt of its mass against the building, holding both itself and the broken edifice upright just as the light faded from the robot's eyes and Entry Plug.

In the darkness of the deactivated EVA, Shinji relaxed and leaned back, letting out a stream of bubbles in relief. But just as the boy was starting to drift into a state of content, a sound from outside once again jerked him back to reality. Sitting up, the Third Child tilted his head to one side and waited for the noise to come again. There it was! A cracking, crumbling noise—growing close and loud before falling away. Shinji's mouth dropped into a serious frown as he realized its origin.

'The building's still breaking up, though Unit-01's holding up the main part. Those pieces sound like they might be big enough to crush a person if they fell the right way! Misato said she was sending help, but the state the city's in right now will slow things down, plus the long journey up from the Geofront . . . I want to help the people below, but what can I do?'

With a sigh, Shinji decided that he needed to get a better look at things before he could make up his mind. Leaning up in his pilot chair, he reached back and pulled a lever which a tech had showed him would manually eject the long, white self-screwing tube. Instantly the boy felt his center of gravity move upwards as the plug poked its way out the back of Unit-01's neck armor, blasting LCL onto the streets below. As soon as the Plug had stopped moving, Shinji crawled over his seat and untwisted the exit hatch, pushing it outwards into the open air.

Screams of pain and sobs immediately wafted up from the street to Shinji's ears above, and any doubts or complaints about what he _knew_ he had to do vanished entirely. Wedging his body in the square hatch to the Plug, Shinji prepared to leap to the EVA's shoulder as his mentally sought out the connection that he had tried so long to block out—the connection to _it_, the horrible thing that had invaded his body and taken his humanity. But as much as he despised _it_, Shinji knew that in order to help those poor bystanders to safety he would _it_s strength, _its_ power, and _its_ enduring might. He needed all of those things, and he needed them now!

_

* * *

_

_Floating in the abyss of hyperspace, the Unit's medallion flared as it received the urgent call of its master. Without hesitation the Bio-booster Unit-G responded, and in a blinding flash of light it left to be with he who gave it life and purpose._

END CHAPTER TWO

TRANSLATION GUIDE

Kami-_sama_: In the Japanese Budo-Shinto tradition, the equivalent of God or a higher being.  
Senpai: Roughly translates to "senior"; used by a person of lower standing to a person of higher rank/class/position.  
Ano: Sound of uncertainty; equivalent to "uh".  
Sensei: Teacher; instructor.  
Okaa-_san_: Mother.  
-_san_: Equivalent to Mr./Ms./Mrs.; used when formally addressing an individual, and almost always when a subordinate addresses a superior or elder person.  
-_kun_: Used in causal/friendly relationships, typically with males, and most often as a sign of light affection from a superior to a subordinate. Also used between people of the same age who share friendly relations.  
-_chan_: Similar to -_kun_ when used between individuals who share a casual relationship, and typically used with females. Can also be used to express deep affection between two individuals, where the word becomes the equivalent to "Darling".


	3. Chapter 3: Guardian Angel

Standard Disclaimer: "Neon Genesis Evangelion" and "Bio-booster Armor Guyver" are the creative property of Hideaki Anno and Yoshiki Takaya respectively. No poseo nada!

Other Standard Disclaimer: This fanfic is rated PG-13 (or T) for violence, swearing, and mild sexual references.

Introductory Author's Note: I'm still looking for anyone who would like to pre-read future chapters of "Out of Control", or any other fics my warped mind comes up with, so let me know if you're interested!

**READER ALERT: **For all those who waited patiently for me to update, I've got a little gift for ya! (see Author's Notes below, past the Omake)

KEY  
"spoken"  
'thoughts'

Out of Control  
A Neon Genesis Evangelion/  
Bio-booster Armor Guyver Fusion  
By: Mares Guyver

Chapter 3: Guardian Angel

The sliding doors to Tokyo-3 Hospital barely had time to swish open as Misato Katsuragi thundered into the area, arms swinging furiously in her crimson NERV jacket. A deep frown stained her normally pleasant features as she glanced right and left along the rows of the waiting area. Russet eyes narrowed as they spied and centered on their target, and with a hit of an internal switch the Captain's form took off once again. Her prey: a small brown-haired boy sitting all by himself, head bowed, clothes damp and sticky with a sickly-sweet smell.

The heavy footfalls of the purple-haired wonder alerted the boy to her presence, and just before she reached him Shinji looked up, red-eyed from the tears that still burned his cheeks. Seeing the Third Child's state of misery, the NERV Tactical Operations Director paused, her anger giving way to instincts more basic from within. Eyes never leaving the boy, Misato lowered herself into the seat next to his, lightly wrapping one long arm around his shoulders in a tentative show of compassion. Silence reigned between the two for several minutes, but then Shinji's choked and wavering voice finally emerged.

"Thirty cases of broken bones . . . one-hundred and fifty-two different lacerations . . . seventy-nine second-degree burns . . . concussions, internal injuries, twelve people slipping in and out of comas . . . and one little girl who may never walk again." The child's body spasmed as fresh sobs erupted from his mouth, and he leaned over to cover his face with his hands, "It's all my fault, Misato-_san_! I-I tried to help them, but it didn't do any good! It's all my fault!"

Misato's eyes widened and she drew in a sharp burst of air as she took in the boy's guilt-ridden cries. Listening to the screaming of her own heart, the older woman flung her arms around him, bringing Shinji's head into her shoulder as he continued to sob. Taking a cue from similar experiences as a child, Misato rubbed one hand in swirling motions on Shinji's sticky back while murmuring nonsense words to his ear. A few minutes after the boy relaxed in her embrace, Misato released him, holding him out by the shoulders so that she could look straight into his watery blue eyes.

"Now you listen to me, Shinji-_kun_ . . . none of this is your fault." Shaking her head to cut off Shinji's self-recriminations, Misato continued, "These people were . . . foolish, and came out of the shelter before they were given the 'all-clear'. Nothing you did could have prevented their decision, and nothing you did could have stopped them from getting hurt afterwards."

Shinji's mouth quivered like the plucked string of his cello, "B-b-but I caused the damage in the first place! If I had piloted EVA better, there wouldn't have been wreckage around to injure people!"

Misato's face softened into a wan smile, "Shinji-_kun_, you said it yourself—you've never piloted an EVA before, never had any experience before today. And in the space of an hour you were thrown into a dangerous situation completely new and foreign to you, without any previous knowledge or time to prepare . . ." the mauve-haired beauty grinned, "And despite all that, you _still _beat the Angel, single-handedly! With the highest synch ratio we've seen to boot!" Shinji's head lowered so that his bangs obscured his eyes, and when he spoke again, it was in a quiet voice that uncannily mirrored that of his fellow EVA pilot.

"I don't even know how I did it . . . all I remember is that thing pounding me with that beam thing, then . . . nothing. I remember dreaming about being in someone's arms, but then I woke up . . . and I was standing on the edge of a huge crater, and couldn't recall how it was made." Misato frowned slightly.

"Yeah, Shinji-_kun_ . . . about that . . ." Before she could continue though, an older, balding man in a white lab coat walked up to the couple. Looking between the two, the man's eyes eventually settled on Shinji, and the two NERV employees separated as the older gentleman cleared his throat.

"Shinji Ikari?" At the boy's nod, the man continued, "I'm Doctor Hamura—I worked on the little girl you came here with." Shinji gulped, and after a pause he spoke up.

"H-how is she?" The medical man smiled to ease the child's nervousness before speaking.

"She's doing much better, son. Though most of the bones in her legs were shattered, she got here quick enough that we were able to save both of them. A little longer, some more blood loss, or further injury, and we might have been forced to amputate." Noting the boy's relieved sigh, Doctor Hamura chuckled inside but kept a straight face, "Don't misunderstand, Ikari-_san_, little Mari Suzuhara isn't completely out of the woods. She still lost a lot of blood, and the degree of injury to her legs is going to take months to heal properly. With physical therapy, it might be nearly a year before she walks freely again . . ."

Finally, the doctor's face settled into a gentle smile, and he put one hand on the younger man's shoulder, "But she _will_ walk again, and from what I hear, her injuries would have been a great deal more critical if you hadn't dug her out of that pile of rubble." Blushing at the sudden praise, Shinji bowed his head momentarily, but then looked up again with a slightly pleading expression.

"Can I . . . that is, ma-may I see her, Hamura-_sensei_?" The balding man nodded, and pointed to a long hallway behind him.

"She's in recovery now, so I don't see why not. Her brother's already in the room actually, and I think some company will do the girl good when she wakes up. Room 132 . . . ask a nurse if you get lost." Shinji thanked the doctor, then glanced over at Misato, who smiled and nodded to the boy's unspoken question. Standing slowly, shoulders stooped, Shinji shuffled wearily down the corridor, glancing behind him one final time before disappearing around a corner. The two adults watched the gloomy child go, and after a moment Doctor Hamura glanced over at the purple-haired beauty beside him.

"Are you that young man's mother, by any chance?" Misato's left eyebrow twitched, and her head swiveled around slowly to glare at the now terrified medical professional.

Letting one hand hover over her very visible pistol holster, Misato spoke with an eerie amount of calm, "Do I _look_ like I'm old enough to be his mother, Hamura-_sensei_?" Her clenched teeth glared dangerously in the phosphorescent light, and Doctor Hamura raised his arms to protect his face from any incoming bullets.

"Not at all! Not in the slightest, teensiest, tiniest little bit! Why, you could easily pass for his young aunt! Er . . . slightly older sister! Girlfriend even!" The doctor then curled into a ball, arms covering his head protectively, "Please don't hurt me . . ."

Grinning like a banshee, Misato stood and patted the doctor's shoulder, "That's what I thought . . ." Helping the lab-coated man to his feet, the NERV captain continued, "I'm Shinji's comman . . . er, I work for his father, yeah." Misato laughed nervously and held one hand behind her head, hoping the doctor wouldn't notice her faux pas.

Nodding and straightening his muddled clothing, the doctor replied, "Ah, I see . . ." Misato let out a hidden sigh of relief as the doctor continued, "Well, that boy's father should be very proud of him. A lot of the other patients here told me how they woke up to find themselves clear of the rubble that had been covering them and being cared for by Ikari-_san_. I'm not sure how he did it, but he managed to get nearly 70 people free and out into the open by the time emergency personnel arrived on scene. Thankfully we've had no casualties, but I imagine we would have had that boy not been there—the building collapsed completely shortly after the last person was pulled to safety, despite that giant robot holding it up." Chuckling, the doctor glanced over at Misato, "I tell you, it's a crazy world we live in, my dear." Nodding once, the doctor turned and walked back to the reception desk, Misato's eyes lingering on his back.

"Yeah, crazy world . . ." Slowly, Misato's earthly brown eyes turned back to the hallway that Shinji had vanished into. A proud smile worked itself onto her face, and Misato's long purple tresses swayed as she shook her head in wonder, 'Shinji-_kun_, you've been here less than a day, and you _still_ cease to amaze me'

* * *

'128 . . . 130 . . . 132 . . . 134 . . .' Shinji paused as his mind registered that last number, alerting him to the fact that he had reached his destination. Retracing his steps, the boy turned and faced the robin egg's blue door, extending one hand towards the opening mechanism but then slowly letting it fall back to his side. For several minutes Shinji just stared at the three black numerals emblazed beneath the entry's small window. Through the thin sheet of glass, he could vaguely make out a small white room, turned a glimmering gold by rays of harsh sunlight from a nearby window. Bowing his head, Shinji repeated his well-worn mantra of "I mustn't run away" before stepping forward and placing his palm on the control panel.

Opening with only the faintest woosh, the door slid aside and the room just beyond stood revealed. It contained two large beds, but only one, the one nearest the window on the opposite wall, was occupied. Wrapped securely in a thin, off-white blanket, the small form of a young black-haired girl slowly breathed in and out—her breaths aided by the oxygen mask hugging most of her face. Though Shinji nearly chocked at the sight of the long, cylindrical bulges where her legs were, the boy was gladdened that the girl seemed to be sleeping peacefully—no doubt aided by the multiple IV lines running into her thin arms.

A harsh scraping sound drew Shinji away from his observations, and turning he finally noticed the room's other occupant, standing up from a metal chair beside the girl's bed. The boy looked to be about his age, but much taller and wearing a black and white-striped track suit. The other boy raised an arm and scratched his short-cropped black hair, looking down at the girl, then back at Shinji with a befuddled expression on his lightly tanned face. Shinji opened his mouth to speak but the other boy quickly shook his head, raising one finger to his lips and nodding towards the other, vacant side of the room.

Following the taller boy over, Shinji stooped over slightly and murmured, "S-sorry . . ."

The other boy smiled and lightly clapped a hand on Shinji's shoulder before speaking in a hushed voice, "Don't worry about it, kid—just don't want my sis wakin' up too soon, ya know?" At Shinji's nod, the black-haired teen stepped back and leaned against the wall, folding his arms over his chest, "So, you lost or somethin'? Tryin' to find somebody?" Sniffing the air once, the other boy face scrunched his face and waved one hand in front of his nose, "Or maybe a shower? I think there's one down the hall . . ."

Shinji shook his head, "No . . . I'm kinda here, umm . . . to see her, actually . . ." he looked back over his shoulder at the small breathing form before continuing, "I . . . brought her in, and I . . . just wanted to see . . . if she was okay." The young EVA pilot turned back to his companion, and was surprised to see the larger boy hunched over, his body shaking slightly.

Looking up, the other boy gazed at Shinji with wavering, faded brown eyes, "You . . . brought Mari here? Then you're the one . . . the doctors said you got her out just before . . . ah, geez . . ." Without warning the track-suited teen stepped forward and bear hugged the air out of Shinji's lungs. After a moment, the taller boy stepped away, scratching the back of his head embarrassedly with a sheepish grin on his face, "Sorry kid, I guess . . . I'm just not sure what to say! My sis . . . she's all of my Ma that me and Pops have left and . . ." The boy's voice trailed off with confusion as Shinji's expression saddened, his head bowing with shame.

"Y-you shouldn't be thanking me . . . it-it's my fault your sister got hurt in the first place." Looking up at the other boy's wide-eyed bewilderment, Shinji slowly turned around and looked out the window. The other boy followed the brown-haired child's gaze out into the middle of Tokyo-3, and the massive purple beast that had just started to lower into the ground. The tanned teen's eyes flashed with both surprise and a hint of rage, and it was gritted teeth that he faced Shinji when the young Ikari turned back around.

"The robot! What's that got to do with anythin'?" Mystified, the tall boy watched as his brown haired companion sighed, turned again, and drew the privacy screen to separate the two from the still sleeping injured girl. Back still to the track-suited teen, Shinji finally spoke in a voice barely beyond a whisper.

"I'm its pilot . . ." Shinji turned around to look at his now red-faced companion, his own face dead and devoid of emotion, "I'm the one who fought the monster today, I'm the one that caused all the damage to the city, and I'm the one who's responsible for the collapsed building that nearly killed your little sister."

Shinji was unsurprised when the tanned teen stepped forward again. But this time, instead of hugging the shorter child, the track-suited boy wrapped one fist around the EVA pilot's white shirt, drawing the other behind the back of his head. Eyes narrowed, teeth barred in a feral snarl, the other boy was just about to let loose when a soft, delicate voice cut through the crimson haze of his fury.

"Tou . . . ji? Tou . . . ji-nii . . . _san_?"

The black-haired boy's fist stopped halfway in its arc, and his eyes widened slightly in surprise. For a moment, he looked between Shinji and the privacy screen, but finally released the smaller child and moved forward. Shooting Shinji a glare that screamed, "To be continued," the teen now known as Touji reached past the EVA pilot and drew the screen back, revealing the barely awake form of Mari Suzuhara.

Kneeling by the bed, the track-suited boy carefully took one of the girl's small hands in both of his own. Feeling the light pressure, the raven-haired girl rotated her head around, lids half-shut with exhaustion. Seconds passed as the bother and sister just looked at one another, but in a quiet voice Touji finally said, "Hey squirt, how're you doin'?"

The girl smiled weakly, and in a broken voice replied, "Baka . . . I'm hurt."

The older boy chuckled, "Yeah, yeah, I know . . ." With a light smile, Touji began brushing his sister's long stray locks with one rough hand, "I'll bet you can still kick my ass anytime you want though."

Mari grinned beneath her translucent air mask, "Of course. Have to . . . keep you . . . in line . . ." Her grin fading, the ten-year old closed her eyes and slowly rotated her head back to face the ceiling. Keeping her eyes shut, she asked, "Onii-_san_? How . . . bad . . .?"

Touji let out a small sigh, and glowered briefly at the cowering boy behind him before continuing, "You . . . busted up your legs pretty good. The docs say that . . . that it'll be a few months before the casts can come off, and even longer before you walk again."

Silence reigned as the little girl took in her older brother's words. After a moment tears silently began trailing down her pale cheeks, and the older Suzuhara leaned over to hug the younger, only pausing when he finally noticed the girl's brilliant smile, obscured by her face's foggy plastic covering.

Still facing the ceiling, Mari fully opened her glittering eyes, revealing their stunning violet coloration. Letting out a content breath, she finally spoke, "I'm glad . . . so glad."

Touji and Shinji simultaneously cocked their heads, though it was Touji who eventually asked their shared question, "You're . . . glad?" The ebony-haired child nodded, and when she spoke again her voice seemed stronger, more sure.

"It could have been worse . . . I-I almost died." Mari turned to look at her brother again, and though she was still smiling, her quivering orbs revealed the full gamut of emotions raging within, "I was scared, Onii-_san_, so scared . . . bu-but I was happy too. I was happy . . . that I was going to finally meet Mama."

The track-suited boy slumped slightly as his own eyes began wavering, "Mari-_chan_ . . ."

Still smiling, the little girl turned back to face the ceiling, raising her free hand so that it covered her heart, "But then . . . it got real quiet. I felt myself . . . being lifted up . . . and when I opened my eyes, I saw him—holding up the ceiling . . . with one arm, and my body . . . with the other—a Shugotenshi." Mari closed her eyes, the smile on her face increasing as she remembered, "He was lit from behind . . . it was hard to see any details, but the Shugotenshi . . . was wearing glittery armor . . . with glowing blue eyes and a gleaming halo. Before I passed out, he looked right at me . . . and said, 'Don't worry—you'll be safe now.'"

Opening her eyes, Mari turned back to face a slack-jawed pair of teenage boys, though Shinji was still outside of her field of vision. Unbeknownst to either of the two Suzuharas, the young EVA pilot had begun sweating quite profusely, his right hand clenching harder and faster as his nervousness grew. As Shinji cursed his own carelessness, Mari continued with her dialogue, unaware of one of her listener's internal angst session.

"Oh, Onii-_san_, it was just like the stories Papa used to tell! A real Shugotenshi! Mama must have sent him from Heaven to protect me . . . just like Papa said she would!" Mari's enthusiasm was infectious, and despite everything Touji felt himself smiling too, though his small twitch never quite reached his eyes. For a moment, all the boy did was stroke his sister's long waves of hair, but then he finally spoke in slow, measured words.

"Sis, I don't know what it was you saw out there . . . but the guy who got you out of that building was no angel . . ." Touji's eyes narrowed slightly, "_Trust_ me." Glancing back at the sulking boy behind him, Touji spoke in a slightly louder tone, "In fact, he's here right now—I'm _sure_ he'd like to say a few things to you . . ." Turning back again, he met the blue-eyed child's curious gaze with a threatening glare, giving a quick head jerk towards his sister's bed.

Gulping, Shinji stepped forward to the foot of the bed, strategically placing himself just outside of the other boy's arm reach. Sensing the sudden movement, Mari tilted her head to gaze at the short brown-head, her eyes flickering with both curiosity and slight confusion. Once again there was silence as the three children just stared at one another, but after another glare from the track-suited boy, Shinji quickly bowed low and respectfully, much to the younger Suzahara's bemusement.

Straightening back up, Shinji said, "I-I-I'm Shinji Ikari. I'm g-g-glad to see that yo-you're okay, Su-Suzu-Suzuhara-_san_." In the bed in front of him, the nine-year old's dark eyes widened.

'That voice . . . Shugotenshi-_sama_! Oh my . . I never would have guessed . . .' Inwardly reeling at the revelation, Mari fixed a pleasant smile on her face, hoping to ease the new boy's nervousness, "So . . . you're the one . . . who got me out?"

The EVA pilot nodded furiously, "Y-yeah . . . you were jus-just lying there, bleeding, and . . ." Overcome with shame, Shinji broke off and bowed his head, unable to look the bedridden girl in the face. Mari's expression softened, and feebly she pushed herself up on her pillows so that she could better see the angsty child across from her.

Closing her eyes, Mari bowed her own head and smiled, "I owe you my life then, Ikari-_san_ . . . you were very brave to come rescue me. Thank you." Shinji started shaking, fresh sobs threatening to spill out in the wake of the girl's praise.

"Y-y-you shouldn't . . . I-I'm not . . ." Shinji stuttered.

"You shouldn't be saying such things to this kid, Mari," Touji cut in, "If it wasn't for him, you wouldn't be here in the first place!" Turning around, he shot a withering look towards the shorter boy, "He's that stupid robot's _pilot_ . . ." His sister's eyes bulged out in shock, and she quickly looked back at Shinji, her expression strangely unreadable.

"Ikari-_san_ . . . is that true?" At Shinji's slow nod, Mari grinned, much to her brother's astonishment, "Then you're even braver than I thought . . ." The brown-haired boy's head shot up, and simultaneously both he and Touji tried to deny Mari's claim in their own unique ways.

"You do-don't understand . . . it-it's not like that . . ."

"Sis, this guy is no good! He destroyed half the city with his little joyride, and he's responsible for you gettin' hurt! How're you gonna be a babe if you've got scars on your legs! You're being so . . ."

While both boys tried to plead their individual cases, the petite raven-haired girl between them just leaned back against her pillows and sighed. After several deep breaths, she lifted the air mask off her face and took an experimental taste of the antiseptic air around her. Satisfied, Mari folded her hands on her lap and observed the interaction between the room's other two occupants. Touji was livid, spitting multiple accusations and swaping pleading looks at her for furious glances at Shinji. The brown-haired EVA pilot, on the other hand, was trembling slightly, either out of fright, nervousness, or both, and quietly rebuffing the kind words put towards him. When Shinji flinched at a sudden motion by Touji, Mari's eyes narrowed, and with as much strength as she could she cleared her throat.

"Touji Suzuhara . . ." Both boys stopped their tirades as the seemingly frail girl before them sharply proclaimed her brother's full name. Turning to the track-suited teen, Mari's eyes seemed to glow from the intensity of the emotions held within, "Did you hurt Ikari-_san_ . . . ?"

Frozen by the chill of his little sister's glare, Touji struggled to issue a reply, "I, uh, well no, but . . ."

Mari's eyes narrowed to mere slits, and the temperature in the room seemed to drop a few degrees.

"But you were going to," finished the dark-haired girl. At Touji's slow nod, Mari closed her eyes and bowed her head slightly, "I see . . ." Coughing once into her hand, Mari turned away from her brother and looked out the window, "Onii-_san_, my throat's a little dry . . . could you please ask the nurse if I can have some water?"

Blinking, Touji slowly nodded and stood up. Glaring one last time at Shinji, he walked to the door, glanced back briefly at his sister, then exited. As soon as the woosh from the closing door faded, Mari seemed to deflate, slumping down deeper into her pillows. Turning to Shinji with a tired smile, she raised one arm towards the recently vacated chair next to her.

"Please, Ikari-_sama_ . . . come sit by me," she breathed. Shinji blinked at the girl's sudden choice of honorific, but after a pause shuffled over and sat down in the already cool steel chair.

Looking at the EVA pilot with a gentle smile, the ebony-haired girl began, "Please forgive . . . my idiot brother. He's a good guy . . . but usually forgets to use his head." Shinji chuckled at the comment, but quickly sobered up and bowed his head.

"He-he's right though . . . you shouldn't say such nice things to me. I-I'm not a good person—all I do is cause pain . . ." Mari frowned slightly at this statement, and with a display of boldness uncommon for her age, grabbed one of the older boy's hands with her own. Her move got the desired reaction, as Shinji's cobalt orbs looked up to meet her deep lilac ones.

"Ikari-_sama_ . . . why do you say such things? You must have been . . . very brave, to pilot that mecha. And without any help . . . you beat that monster, and saved the city . . . then came back, even though you didn't have to . . . and saved me. Why . . . ?" Tears prickled at the corners of her eyes as Mari glimpsed through the windows of Shinji's soul, and after a moment the boy looked away, unable to bear the girl's penetrating stare.

"I di-didn't pilot for any noble reason . . . I piloted because I was told to, and . . . because I wanted others to praise me . . ." Shinji replied, closing his eyes as he thought, 'Especially _him_ . . .'

Mari smiled and softly shook her head, "Ikari-_sama_ . . . that may be what you think, but I know otherwise . . ." the girl paused until the brown-haired boy was again facing her, "I _saw_ you battle the monster . . . you gave it everything you had, and you never gave up until all was done. That . . . that's not what someone does when they simply were 'told to' . . ." Mari lightly squeezed Shinji's hand as he began to protest, and as the blushing boy quieted down, she continued, "And after it was all over . . . you came back and helped injured people like me, when you could've just walked away."

Filled with shame, the young pilot bowed his head again, "I-I just wanted to help . . . I c-couldn't just leave people, but . . . even then . . ."

"Even then, people like me got hurt," Mari finished, and she smiled as Shinji slowly nodded, "You feel guilt . . . but that also shows you're a good person. A bad one . . . wouldn't have come back, or felt remorse, or . . . anything."

Shinji slouched deeper into his chair as the raven-haired girl's words sunk in. His mouth flopped open and closed, but no words came out—his mind was too preoccupied. 'I want to believe her . . . but how can I! I'm a cheat, a liar, a thief, a despicable person—I have to be! No-one cares for me, and they never will because I don't deserve it! Everything bad that happens results from me being so horrible . . .' The boy's thoughts screeched to a halt as he felt a small hand brush his cheek, and with wide eyes he looked down as the lightly blushing girl in bed.

"I also know . . . something else, Ikari-_sama_ . . . I know that somewhere inside you . . . is a Shugotenshi." The young girl shook her head to halt Shinji's protests, then continued, "I know what I saw in the building, Ikari-_sama_ . . . I can remember every detail—I'm funny like that." Closing her eyes, Mari tilted away until she faced the ceiling, "Maybe you don't want anyone to know . . . or maybe you don't know it yourself, but _I_ know . . . and I'm glad," opening her eyes, Mari glanced over at Shinji with a smile, "I'm glad that we have a Shugotenshi protecting us."

The young girl suddenly yawned, and as if by instinct, Shinji stood and pulled Mari's blanket back over her nightgowned body. Her dark eyes twinkled with gratitude as she gave the boy a sheepish grin.

"Guess I . . . wore myself out," Mari muttered as her expression lost a little of its cheer, "Will you come visit me, Ikari-_sama_ . . . pretty please?" Shinji couldn't help but smile a little at the little girl finally peeking out through the mask of maturity.

"I-I will, but please, call me Shinji . . . Ikari makes me sound, sound like my father," the boy finished with a slight pained expression. The raven-haired child giggled.

"Okay, Shinji-_sama_, but you have to . . . use my name too . . ." Mari breathed.

Shinji gulped, but eventually nodded his head, "O-okay, Mari-_san_ . . ."

'Oh well . . . it's a start . . .' thought the ten-year old as exhaustion began to claim her. "Good night . . . Shinji-_sama_ . . ." she murmured as her consciousness drifted away. 'Watashi no Shugotenshi.'

For several minutes, the EVA pilot simply stood and watched the slow rise and fall of the girl's blankets as she slept. Eventually, he bowed his head and turned to exit, bits of the brief but engaging conversation still running around his head. 'I'd like to believe you, Mari-_san_, I really would . . .' Shinji's eyes narrowed, 'But what I have inside me is no "Shugotenshi" . . . no, it's something just as horrible as that "Angel" I fought . . .'

Exiting the hospital room, Shinji was so wrapped in self-condemnation that he leapt nearly a foot off the ground when a familiar gruff voice said, "So, you gonna keep your promise?"

Picking himself off the floor, Shinji turned and found the track-suited Suzuhara leaning against the wall outside of his sister's room. Sweating under the heat of the larger boy's gaze, Shinji's mouth blubbered like a fish caught on a hook. Seconds passed, and Touji finally turned to look into his sister's room.

"She really seems to like you, and after what she said, I can understand why—what she said about you, how you came back and all, made good sense," the teen chuckled, "What she says usually does . . ." Turning around, Touji looked at his fellow male with a serious expression, though a hint of something else gleamed in his eyes, "If you broke your promise, it would break her heart . . . and she's already got lots to deal with."

Shinji shook his head, saying with a bit of firmness, "N-no, I made a promise, and I'll keep it . . ." The boy smiled weakly, "Mari . . . your sister, is a nice person." Touji smiled proudly, and looked back at the sleeping girl through her window.

"Yeah, she is . . . since Ma passed on, she's had to be a sister, a daughter, and a mother—me and Pops can hardly keep up with her sometimes . . ." Touji turned and looked at Shinji remorsefully, "Look . . . I'm sorry about what I said earlier. Mari-_chan_ was right about you being a good guy, but I didn't want to believe it. I . . . I guess I was just jealous . . . and mad that I couldn't protect her or save her, and you did both." Holding out his hand, the taller boy grinned, "Let's start over, you and I . . . Touji Suzuhara, call me Touji."

Smiling nervously, Shinji reached up and shook the other boy's hand, wincing as he felt a few fingers bend unnaturally, "Sh-Shinji Ikari. You can call me Shinji." The tall boy laughed and pounded the nervous EVA pilot on the back good-naturedly, nearly dropping poor Shinji to the floor. Through some unspoken form of communication, the two began walking back down the hall towards the waiting area.

As they walked, Touji glanced over at his new brown-haired comrade, "So I've got to ask you, man . . . what's piloting that thing like?" Shinji looked up with a confuzzled expression, but then his eyes cleared with realization.

"EVA? Well, it's . . . different. I guess you could describe it . . ."

"As 'Classified' . . ." a firm voice interjected. Startled, both boys looked up from their banter to see the imposing form of NERV Tactical Operations Director Captain Misato Katsuragi smirking evilly at them by the exit doors. After a pause, the brown-eyed beauty lazily ambled over to the two boys, putting extra emphasis into the rolling motion of her hips and bounce of her . . . necklace.

Cackling internally at Shinji's burning impression of a tomato and his friend's open-mouthed drooling, Misato stopped a few paces away and tucked her arms safely under her chest, squeezing them tight to highlight her . . . exasperation, "Shinji-_kun_, I'm sorry but we have to get back to NERV for a debrief and checkup. I'll be waiting outside while you tell your friend goodbye." Turning to Touji, she leaned over slightly to put one hand on his shoulder, allowing the teen a generous peek of her peaks, "I would suggest that you forget anything that Shinji here may have told you about piloting, especially the fact that _he_ is a pilot. I'd _really_ appreciate that." Winking once, the purple-haired wonder twirled around and strutted back to the exit, her form once again doing a hormone-inducing dance to any testosterone-laden male within range.

For a moment both boys just gaped at the swinging doors, one with embarrassment and slight disgust, the other with awe and more primal emotions. Finally the silence was broken by three short words, "Who. Was. THAT!"

Coming to his senses, Shinji looked up at the boy beside him, whose gaze was still fixed on the path the mauve-haired goddess had taken. Scratching his head, Shinji looked at the ground sheepishly, "She, well . . . Misato-_san_'s kinda, my boss." A moment later the EVA pilot found himself pressed against a wall with his new friend's tanned face only millimeters from his own.

"You mean . . . you _work_ for that personification of perfection? You get to see her _everyday_?" At Shinji's nod, a stream of tears began running down Touji's face as his mind began dissecting the details of his new fixation. 'Those lips, those eyes, that hair, those gignormous . . .' The track suited boy quickly came back to reality as Shinji began rapidly snapping his fingers in front of the taller boy's face.

Releasing Shinji and stepping back, Touji scratched his head and laughed nervously, "Heh, guess I lost it for a second there . . ." Shinji raised an eyebrow as if to say, "You think?" and Touji shook his head, "Man, Kensuke would be having kittens if he knew about this—a mecha pilot _and _works for a hot boss too!"

At Shinji's panicked look, Touji grinned and said, "Don't worry though, kid, I'll keep your secret—it's the least I can do." Nodding, Shinji stepped forward and raised his hand.

"I-I guess I have to go . . ." he said with no small amount of sadness. Touji gave a friendly smile and shook the other boy's hand.

"Yeah, I guess so . . . but if you ever want to hang around or somethin', feel free to look me up." Shinji looked up surprise, then bowed his head again as old shame seeped in. Noticing the change in his friend's demeanor, Touji said, "Still feelin' guilty about everythin'?" Shaking his own head in response to Shinji's nod, Touji continued, "Well, if you really feel that bad, then visit my sis every week like you said, and pilot that robot thing the best you can—then I'll forgive you."

Shinji nodded once, smiled weakly, then turned to walk out the exit to the hospital lobby. Just before he reached the doors though, he paused, and glanced back at the track-suited teen behind him, "I've been wondering . . . how _did_ you know to stay and listen to what your sister had to say?"

Touji shook his head, then replied, "One: I'm not as dumb as the squirt thinks I am . . ." his smile turned to a sheepish grin, "And Two: The nurse was coming out of the room next door when I left." Both boys laughed with shared amusement, gave their farewells one last time, then turned and walked their separate ways. In the end, both were glad to have met the other, and hopeful that one day they would meet again.

END CHAPTER THREE

TRANSLATION GUIDE  
Onii-_san_: Older brother.  
Baka: Idiot.  
Shugotenshi: Guardian angel.  
Watashi no Shugotenshi: "My guardian angel."  
-_san_: Equivalent to Mr./Ms./Mrs.; used when formally addressing an individual, and almost always when a subordinate addresses a superior or elder person.  
-_kun_: Used in causal/friendly relationships, typically with males, and most often as a sign of light affection from a superior to a subordinate. Also used between people of the same age who share friendly relations.  
-_sensei_: As an honorific, used to refer to teachers, doctors, or any sort of professional or expert.  
-_chan_: Similar to -_kun_ when used between individuals who share a casual relationship, and typically used with females. Can also be used to express deep affection between two individuals, where the word becomes the equivalent to "Darling".  
-_sama_: Reserved for individuals of extremely high rank or nobility (like royalty, or world leaders), but also can be used to display an extremely high level of respect/affection.

OMAKE!

_**AN:** This was the original beginning to this chapter that I wrote—showing Shinji's actions immediately after Chapter 1 from Mari Suzuhara's POV. However, as I was writing this chapter I realized that Mari was repeating most of the important details from this scene in the conversation with her brother and Shinji. Since I liked the way this was presented in the hospital scene better, I decided to just cut this first scene entirely since the repetition seemed unnecessary._

Mari Suzuhara was having a bad day.

It hadn't started out bad. Today was her fourth-year elementary class's long-anticipated field trip to downtown Tokyo-3, and much of the morning had been spent enjoying the technological wonders of the oft-called "fortress-city". In hindsight, it was almost funny how quickly things suddenly took a turn for the worse.

_Almost_ funny, stress on that "almost".

The change came shortly after the class's lunch break, when the public address system calmly announced a state of emergency, and that citizens should evacuate to the nearest available shelter. For several hours after the announcement, nothing happened as Mari's classmates and others in their shelter waited for the signal that the drill was over; that they could all go home. Suddenly there came a cry from the entrance—the seemingly insane proclamation of a battle between a giant monster and an equally titanic robot.

Pandemonium.

Despite her teacher's best efforts, Mari and her fellow ten-year olds were easily swept up by the flow of people rushing to confirm the bizarre decree with their own eyes and ears. Eager adults and their helpless companions poured into the open air, arriving just in time to be blinded by a gigantic crucifix of white light. A howling wind, some screams and crashing sounds, a sharp pain, and in an instant Mari's world gave way to nothingness.

Seconds, minutes, hours later, the raven-haired child awoke, coughing at the dust that had no beginning and no end. Attempts to stand were wrecked by a pile of concrete and plaster half her height holding her legs fast to the ground. The air around her seemed to grow degrees colder with each passing second, and being a perceptive child, Mari quickly figured it had to do with the pool of blood seeping beneath the debris covering her lower half. Even though her sense of the outside world was blurring, the child could still hear the creaks and groans of the structure above, the shrieks and crashes as more of the building crumbled to the ground. As the ceiling's warped steel cried a mournful death knell, the young girl uttered a long apology to her brother, her father and her elderly grandfather, fearful tears running down her cheeks. Closing her eyes, Mari allowed the sounds around her to fade, and waited for the warm, comforting embrace of her mother's arms up in Heaven.

A heartbeat later, and the pressure on her legs vanished, the emotion of the wails around her changing from fear and pain to joy and gratitude. Mari felt her body rise into the air, supported lightly underneath by a hard, powerful arm. Weak from blood loss, the youngest Suzuhara struggled to open her eyes, desperately focusing on the face of her savior. Sunlight from behind cast his features in shadow, but Mari could make out the shape of a helmet with a long horn, as well as an armored arm, holding up the crumbled ceiling like Atlas in his youth. The face of the angel turned towards her, and though reality was once again fading to black, she managed to hear his voice—human, though oddly garbled.

"Don't worry—you'll be safe now . . ."

When she next awoke, Mari was surrounded by men and women clothed in pale blue surgical gowns, swarming around her body like a colony of bees in heat. Needles were inserted, temperature was checked, gauze was wrapped, blood was suctioned and lights were shined in her eyes as the poor girl slipped in out of consciousness. All the awhile, her mind remained fixed on one image—the last she had seen before emerging in this maelstrom. That image was a pair of glowing blue eyes, framed along the top by a pulsing halo of light.

Yeah, except for the one part, today had _definitely_ been a bad day . . .

END OMAKE

**Author's Notes:** Holy pheromones, Batman! Shinji's been in Tokyo-3 less than a day, and he's already got the ladies all over him! Must be those "Mega Playboy Powers" that Zentrodie keeps mentioning in his **outstanding and masterfully written MST's** ("wink-wink, nudge-nudge, say no more . . ."). Not too much action this time around, but don't worry—things will start picking up by the next chapter as the results of Shinji's tests come to the forefront, and multiple players from both the EVA and Guyver universes move to react. As always, feedback in the form of comments and critiques is greatly appreciated.

Sorry about the long gap between updates. With school and all, I get very little free time with which to work on this story. Add in the fact that I'm still a novice at writing like this, and things get slowed down even further. Don't misunderstand—I have a general idea of where I want this story to go and when I want certain things to happen, it's just filling in all the stuff in-between that's hard.

Probably the hardest thing I'm grappling with is trying to keep the cast as in character as possible, which has always been a struggle for me. Another difficulty is the proper use (or overuse, as the case may be) of Japanese words, phrases, and honorifics. If any of these things seem off to anyone, please let me know, because I'd rather be able to fix my mistakes than let them grow out of control. Still, I'm thoroughly enjoying the challenge this story is giving me, and plan to continue with it for some time.

Now for those of you who read the introductory AN, and were wondering about the gift I mentioned, go here: Maresguyver. You'll find what you're looking for under the title: "Who're you calling 'baka', now?" Just a little something I whipped up between classes, studying, and spouts of writing. Hope it's enough to wet your appetites for future chapters!

Oh, and for those readers still groaning about the whole "Shugotenshi" thing, I apologize. I realize that it's a rather blatant example of irony, but I just couldn't help myself. :-P

Thank yous go out to **nick2951**, **Warbl65**, **aledeth**, **Godsbane**, **Ranshin**, **Phoenix Knight**, **code-wyze**, **Emerald2**, **Rbotekmaster**, **notiferblack**, **Andrew Joshua Talon**, and all the others I've listed below for their wonderfully positive reviews of Chapters 1 and 2. As a first-time writer, I definitely needed a little confidence with what I'm trying to attempt, and you all gave that to me. So thank you again so much. And for those of you that had questions last time around . . .

**kd8gun**: We can dream, can't we? Besides, who's to say that Bio-boosted Shinji won't _eventually_ show some cojon . . . er, confidence against his father . . . _MUWAHAHAHAHAHA!_

******X3RO2: **I'm taking a cue from the live-action Guyver movies with the whole "inner-voice" thing. In "Guyver 2: Dark Hero," the Guyver unit drove its host, Sean Barker, to violently hunt down and kill drug dealers and other nefarious individuals. I have a theory as to why this might happen (since it didn't for Sho or Agito in the anime), and it'll be introduced later in the fic. Oh, and the four men you asked about? Well, you're warm . . . and as you can see from what I wrote above, there's more than one "official" version of Guyver out there.

******MysticSuperSaiyanGohan: **"Bio-booster Armor Guyver" was probably _the _anime/manga to get me seriously hooked on those wonderful products of Japan. I curse Viz Publications daily for canceling the distribution of the Guyver manga here in the US. How could they cut off one of the most original and exciting titles to grace the world of graphic novels? It's like giving a man a crumb of bread but then holding the rest of the loaf out of reach! And now I'm ranting . . . I'll stop now. :-P

The identities of the four "Guyvers" will be my little secret for now, though most will become obvious fairly quickly. I can say this much—none of them are original characters, and all have been in at least one of the various Guyver incarnations. As for the Gigantic . . . we'll see.

******DJ: **That was actually the premise of the only other Evangelion/Guyver crossover I've read: "Evangelion: Man's True Purpose" by ZX-Tole. In that story, a Guyver unit was discovered in ruins beneath the Geo-Front and subsequently bonded with EVA-01 (which would be pretty tricky, if you ask me). I'm not sure if Shinji's unit could bond with an EVA in this fic though. Typically once a Guyver has been activated and bonded with one host, it's usually pretty stable. Plus, it'd be a bad idea for Shinji to bio-boost in the entry plug—the blast field that momentarily surrounds him would cleave the plug in half, plus disintegrate much of the EVA's innards ;-P

******Wolfsbane420: **Thank you very much for the generous contribution of your original character, but I'm afraid I'm going to decline your offer. For right now, I'd like to stick to canon characters and not introduce any OCs unless absolutely necessary. However, I'll let you know if I change my mind and decide to use Shiro in the story.

******no name:** A relative of Trowa Barton, perhaps? Just kidding. Anyways, as to the fate of Chronos, the Zoalords and the Zoanoids . . . all in due time. And I too am a long time fan of Brian O'Sullivan's magnificent Warrior Guyver fanfiction and art.

******b123sedg: **The answer depends on which version of "Guyver" you're more familiar with (if any). In the live-action Guyver movies, the Guyver unit does indeed go inside of its host, with the armor bursting out of two holes on the back of his neck whenever he activates it. In the Guyver anime and manga, the bio-booster armor resides in a pocket dimension (hammerspace, subspace, what-have-you) and follows the host around until he summons it via the organisms on his back. When that happens, the host becomes surrounded by a highly destructive barrier known as the blast field, and the armor transitions into our dimension to clamp onto the host. In my fic, I'm using the anime/manga explanation, so the main armor is in hyperspace, though a physical trace of the Guyver (the organisms) are still present on Shinji's body. The "origin story" behind Shinji's transformation will be featured in a later chapter.

******Brax the Great: **Indeed, there will be much kicking of the buttock as the story progresses. And as for the Gigantic, wait and see, my friend, wait and see . . .

******Ayden: **Hehe . . . yeah, but this is Shinji Ikari we're talking about. He's _never_ that lucky. ;)

******Kei Ikari: **I'm sorry you're having a problem following the story. If you have any questions about the content or have any suggestions on how I could make things clearer, please feel free to let me know! Also, I suggest you check out the data files I included at the end of the first chapter (if you haven't already); they might clear up a few of the non-NGE details for you. Thanks for your feedback!

******AN: **That's it for this round—see you all on the flip side! Mares Guyver, signing off.


	4. Chapter 4: Testing a Mystery

Standard Disclaimer: "Neon Genesis Evangelion" and "Bio-booster Armor Guyver" are the creative property of Hideaki Anno and Yoshiki Takaya respectively.

Other Standard Disclaimer: This fanfic is rated PG-13 (or T) for violence, swearing, and mild sexual references.

KEY  
"spoken"  
'thoughts'

Out of Control  
A Neon Genesis Evangelion/  
Bio-booster Armor Guyver Fusion  
By: Mares Guyver

Chapter 4: Testing a Mystery

Thankfully, the ride back to NERV did _not_ involve Misato behind a wheel in any way, shape or form. Using a tram entrance just outside the hospital, the purple-haired Captain and her charge rapidly descended into the Geofront on one of the many underground monorails set up throughout the city. Along the way, a playful Misato was quick to inquire about the depth of Shinji's relationship with his poor, bedridden girlfriend in the recovery ward. This of course immediately sent the boy into a hysterical sputtering of denial while his purportedly mature guardian wiped tears from her eyes. None too soon for the young EVA pilot, the duo reached the hospital section of the Geofront, located near the edge of the immense domed structure. While Misato wandered off to find the doctor in charge, Shinji just stood and stared out the window in one of the building's many pale corridors.

A faint squeaking sound drew the boy's attention away from the scenery, and he turned to spy two males in blue scrubs wheeling a bed and IV rack down the hall. Lying flat on the bed, crimson eyes staring straight at the ceiling, was none other than the bandaged, azure-haired enigma, Rei Ayanami. Asking the technicians to stop, Shinji walked over to the bed while the pale girl titled her head to take in the newcomer. Graciously, the two techs walked to a nearby vending machine to give the two Children some privacy. For several minutes the pair just stared at one another—Shinji trying to work up the nerve to say something and Rei, well, Rei was characteristically unreadable.

Finally Shinji smiled nervously and said, "I . . . I'm glad to see you're okay, Ayanami-_san_ . . ." His only response was a quick flutter of the girl's eyelids, and after a moment he continued with a concerned frown, "Are you still in any pain? I-I know you were hurting a lot earlier . . ." The First Child blinked, then closed her eyes and turned her head back to the ceiling.

"My current condition is . . . tolerable," she stated in her distinctly airy voice. Despite the emptiness of her tone, Shinji found himself smiling, though a bit confused by her verbage.

"That's . . . good, I guess," the boy uttered tentatively, then blinked and grinned sheepishly, an embarrassed blush spreading across his cheeks, "S-sorry . . . I forgot my manners. My name is . . ."

"Shinji Ikari, Third Child, designated pilot of Evangelion Unit-01. Son of Commander Gendo and Dr. Yui Ikari, Birthdate: June 6, 2001, Identification number: 0001-137-22—Clearance level Alfa . . ." the pale girl interjected, her tone never rising or falling during the brief recitation. Sweat dripped down the back of Shinji's head as his jaw threatened to unhinge and plummet through the floor.

'Talk about straight to the point, _yeesh_ . . .' he thought with an uncertain chuckle, the sound bringing the prone girl's scarlet orbs back to him. Out loud the boy stated, "Well . . . I g-guess you already know me then." Once again only the girl's rapid blinks served as a reply, and for a moment the two just stared at each other, both children wondering what the other would do next. Eventually, a red-faced Shinji shuffled his feet and looked slightly off to one side as he uttered his next statement, "I-I know you're an EVA pilot, l-like me, Ay-Ayanami-_san_ . . . I h-hope we can be friends . . ." Sweat dotted Shinji's forehead as the silence between him and the pale girl grew, the boy's anxiety growing as he awaited a reply, _any_ reply.

On the steel bed next to the young Ikari, Rei stared at the fidgeting Third Child, her red eyes as piercing and exacting as a coroner slicing open a fresh corpse. Letting out an imperceptible sigh, she settled back onto the flat surface, her expression fixed as she uttered, "If I am ordered to, then I will." As the boy next to her slumped over with dejection, she sensed the bed shake as the two technicians returned from their break.

Turning to the brown-haired boy, one of the techs smiled apologetically, "Sorry kid, but we really have to get Ayanami-_san_ to her room . . ." Not even waiting for the child's reply, the techs began pushing the bed back down the hall as Shinji looked on miserably. A quick pause, and a sudden expression of determination formed on the boy's face. Without hesitation he jogged to catch up with the medical bed, the techs pausing as Shinji came alongside and looked down at the First Child. Rei just stared back blankly, her scarlet orbs flickering with the same unspoken questions as her first encounter with the Third.

"Ayanami-_san_, ma-maybe you don't like me or something, and tha-that's okay, but I just want you to know . . ." Shinji's eyes glowed with resolve as his mouth settled into a serious frown, "What I said in the EVA cage, I meant it. Whatever happens, I'll protect you." If the boy was expecting a reply, some sign that the girl before him understood, he was sorely disappointed as the techs once again wheeled the mysterious young woman away. For a minute, Shinji watched the group until it disappeared down the corridor, then hung his head sorrowfully as he internally chastised his actions. Caught in his own, dreary inner world, it was little wonder when Shinji started to the soft, feminine voice just behind him.

"Don't take it personally, Shinji-_kun_—she's like that with just about everybody." The boy in question whirled around to find a petite, short-haired brunette in a snug tan uniform standing just a few meters away. Holding a clipboard loosely in one arm, she was looking at him with a friendly and sympathetic smile, and Shinji's eyes dropped to the floor as his face flushed pink to a surge of various emotions. This action brought a pleasant giggle from the older woman, which in turn caused Shinji's blush to deepen to a near maroon.

Glancing at the auburn-haired newcomer out of the corner of one eye, Shinji quietly said, "I-I'm sorry, Miss . . . I don't think I've met you before . . ." The brown-eyed woman blinked, then chuckled and tapped the side of her head.

"Ahh . . . I'm such an idiot. That's right, you have no idea who I am, do you?" Smiling, the slender female held out one hand towards the younger child, "I'm Maya Ibuki—Doctor Akagi's assistant." As the EVA pilot shook her hand, Maya continued, "Senpai is still a little busy with the repairs to Unit-01, so until she gets here I'll be taking care of your medical exam." Nodding with a slight blush, Shinji began walking alongside the tan-suited tech as she started down the hallway.

Looking up at the short-haired woman, Shinji asked, "Does Akagi-_san_ take care of all the check-ups?"

Nodding, Maya replied, "Yes . . . when it comes to the EVA pilots at least." Glancing at the brown-haired boy with a smile, the tech continued, "These check-ups actually serve two purposes—1. To get a baseline measurement for a more efficient connection between pilot and EVA, and 2. To make sure the pilots aren't receiving any harmful side-effects from synchronization . . ." Maya's face frowned with concern, "Speaking of which, how _are_ you doing, Shinji-_kun_?" Looking away to gather his thoughts, Shinji paused a moment before finally speaking.

"I-I'm okay, Ibuki-_san_ . . . actually, there's a lot about what happened that I don't remember," the boy admitted. Next to him, Maya thought, 'That's probably a good thing . . .' and shuddered internally as the horrific images of the Berserk Unit-01 entered her mind. Stopping at one of the many empty exam rooms, Maya pressed the door control and gestured for Shinji to enter.

Following the boy inside, the auburn-haired tech hit the light switch and motioned for Shinji to sit on one of the metal exam beds. Jotting a few notations on her clipboard, Maya looked up and smiled to calm the somewhat anxious-looking EVA pilot. Grabbing a few instruments from a drawer, she walked over and stuck a thermometer in Shinji's ear. As soon as the unit beeped, Maya removed the device and made a few more notations on her pad.

Fidgeting slightly, Shinji asked, "Ano . . . Ibuki-_san_ . . ."

"Maya," the woman in question cut in, her chocolate eyes twinkling as she peeked over her clipboard at Shinji, "Maya is fine, Shinji-_kun_ . . . Ibuki-_san_ makes me sound old." Blushing slightly, the young EVA pilot looked down at his lap.

"O-okay, Ibu . . . Maya-_san_ . . ." Pausing a moment to get control of his embarrassment, Shinji asked, "Ano . . . Maya-_san_, I d-don't mean to be rude, but . . . do you usually do this sort of . . . ?" Trailing off, the boy looked back down at his lap as Maya grinned.

"What, I'm not doing a good enough job, Pilot Ikari?" chuckling at Shinji's sudden, panicked stammering, "I'm kidding—you're right, I'm actually trained to work with computers, but I've learned to do some basic nursing to cover for Senpai. That's how I know about the way Rei usually treats people—I gotten the same cold shoulder myself a number of times. It's just the way she is . . ." While Shinji nodded his understanding, Maya couldn't help but think, 'Well, she's not that way with the Commander, but somehow I doubt you'd appreciate knowing that, wouldn't you? Poor kid . . .'

As the tan-suited woman continued her examination, both the NERV tech and Evangelion pilot contemplated each other. For Maya, the slight, hesitant, and courteous _bishounen_ slouched before her was a surprise, due to the strength she knew had to lie within—given his earlier performance in EVA. To Shinji, Maya was yet another beautiful woman to suddenly come into his life, more refined in character than Misato, and less overbearing than Ritsuko. Still, the boy knew in his heart that Maya's kindness was just a sham generated by pity, because nobody could love a monster like him. But before Shinji could sink into his usual self-depreciating cycle, Maya stepped away and said, "Okay, off with the shirt."

Eyes bulging and face flushed, Shinji sputtered a loud, "W-W-WHAT!" Giggling like a much younger girl, Maya held up a stethoscope so that Shinji could see her intent.

"I have to listen to your heartbeat, silly," Maya explained with a grin, "So don't be shy . . . now, off with it!"

Shaking thoroughly, Shinji grabbed the edges of his shirt and said, "D-d-do I have to? Can't you ju-just listen through my shirt?"

Raising an eyebrow, Maya smirked impishly, "What's the matter, Shinji-_kun_? Got something you don't want me to see? I'm hurt." Expecting a laugh, or at least a groan, the auburn-haired tech was shocked when the boy before her bowed his head and sobbed. 'W-what the . . . ?'

Sniffing between tears, Shinji said, "I . . . I have m-marks, on my back, from an old a . . . accident. I don't . . . I can't . . ." The boy finally just broke down, and Maya immediately felt tears of her own sting her eyes as she realized what she had done.

"Oh, Shinji-_kun_, I didn't mean . . ." stepping over, the brown-eyed woman put her hands on the child's shoulders, "Shinji-_kun_, I'm sorry . . . I didn't know; I didn't mean to hurt your feelings . . ." Smiling sincerely, Maya tilted the boy's deep cobalt eyes up to at her before saying, "You don't have to be scared of me, you know . . . I won't ridicule you, or make fun of you—I'm not like that. Please trust me, Shinji-_kun_." Sniffing, the young EVA pilot nodded, and as Maya stepped back he reached down and pulled off his sticky white shirt, a downcast expression still on his face.

The first thing that Maya noted was, despite the boy's small size and skinniness, what muscles Shinji had were remarkably well-developed and toned. Knowing that his plug-suit's spandex quality would only enhance these qualities, she mentally chuckled as she imagined how popular he would be among other little girls his age. Returning to reality, Maya moved forward with a reassuring smile and pressed her stethoscope against Shinji's chest. That task done, the woman patted Shinji's shoulder, then walked around the bed to his backside.

Stifling her automatic exclamation, Maya swallowed and pressed her stethoscope to the middle of Shinji's back, her eyes never leaving the sight that the boy had tried so desperately to hide. Just below the base of his neck, along either side of his spinal column, two swollen, angry red sores stood out from the rest of his pale skin. The blistering masses reminded Maya of her high school days, and pictures from one class of the cancerous skin tumors on the victims of dirty bombs used heavily just after Second Impact. As the doe-eyed woman finished her listening, she reminded herself what Shinji had said about the sores being an old injury, then reached her hand out towards them.

"Shinji_-kun_ . . . I'm going to have to touch your back, okay?" Maya said carefully, a quiet whimper being her only reply. Gently as she could, she brushed her fingertips against the crimson swellings, eyes widening at their hard, leathery feel. Pressing down on one, she watched the bulge sink then pop back out, never once loosing its shape. Placing a warm hand comfortingly against the boy's cool back, Maya asked softly, "Do they . . . hurt?"

Shinji shook his head, "N-no . . . most of the time, I don't even feel them . . ." the boy bowed his head, "Sometimes though, they tingle a little . . . kind, kind of like my arm." Maya raised an eyebrow.

"Your arm?" she asked, and Shinji raised his left forearm.

"Y-yeah, my arm . . . where the Angel broke it, on Unit-01," the boy paused, and unseen Maya's eyes softened as he continued, "Wh-when I think about the battle, it tingles a little, though I'm glad the pain is gone . . ." Unnoticed by either of the two, Maya's hand began softly rubbing the boy's back in a soothing gesture.

"Do you hate piloting, Shinji-_kun_? Does it hurt too much?" Maya asked quietly, and her eyes widened slightly as Shinji shook his head.

"I'll admit . . . I don't like the pain part, but . . . there's something about EVA . . . something inside of it that's warm, comforting," a faint smile lit up the boy's face, "I like that feeling, and I like . . . being able to help people." 'Even though I'm no good at it . . .' he thought loathingly. The young woman smiled at the boy's words, and looked slightly off to the side before speaking.

"I was in the Command Center, you know, when you fought the Angel—along with Captain Katsuragi and Senpai. I thought you were incredibly brave, and all of us here are proud and honored to have you defending us." Shinji bowed his head, his face falling as the tech's words of praise sunk in.

"Tha-thank you . . . for your kind words, M-Maya-_san_," the boy said somberly, "And . . . sorry . . . that I'm not the person you thought me to be." Maya's eyes widened as she whirled and looked down at the crestfallen child.

"Oh, Shinji-_kun_ . . . I didn't mean . . ." the tech started.

"Oi, oi, oi, Maya-_chan_ . . . I didn't know that you and the Third Child were so . . . _close_," a catty, feminine voice called out. Blushing a deep crimson simultaneously, Maya leaped away from Shinji as the boy pulled his shirt back down, both looking at the open doorway with identical expressions of shock. Arms folded, and taping one finger against her shoulder, the lab-coated blonde genius known at Ritsuko Akagi popped an eyebrow at the shared look between the brown-haired duo.

Shaking her head, Ritsuko coolly entered the room, glancing over at her still blushing assistant with a vaguely contemptuous expression, "I'll admit, Shinji-_kun_ here is quite the catch, but this is a big chance you're taking. What _will_ people say?" The faux blonde internally smirked as the pair turned nearly fuchsia with embarrassment.

Struggling to regain her composure, Maya said, "S-S-Senpai, don't joke! It's not like that at all!" Out of the corner of her eye, Maya noticed Shinji's face crumple painfully, and her heart wrenched as she realized her folly. 'Oh, Shinji-_kun_ . . . forgive me . . . but you, a-and Senpai, auuuuuuuuuuu . . .'

Allowing herself a miniscule smile, the blond scientist patted her assistant on the shoulder, "You're fun to tease, Maya-_chan_ . . . regardless, thanks for covering for me. I'll take over now." Maya nodded and as Ritsuko walked away to ready her own instruments, the auburn-haired woman turned to the miserable-looking child next to her. Shame clouded her face as she furiously tried to think of a way to apologize and raise the boy's spirits. Reaching across, she put one hand on Shinji's shoulder, wincing as he stiffened under her touch.

Leaning over, Maya said carefully, "Shinji_-kun_, you were right when you said you weren't what I expected . . ." The EVA pilot's face began to fall again, but his eyes immediately shot open as he felt a feathery moistness brush the side of his forehead. Eyes wide, Shinji turned to look into a blushing Maya's doe-brown eyes. Smiling gently, the young tech whispered, "You're better . . ." and squeezing the boy's shoulder once, turned around and walked out of the room.

Caught in a haze of warm and fuzzy feelings, Shinji started as a loud snap brought him back to reality. Looking up, he gulped at the lab-coated form of NERV's Chief Scientist looming over him. With a dangerous gleam in her emerald eyes, Ritsuko almost sensually donned the other latex glove she was holding. "I hope you haven't made any plans this evening, Shinji-_kun_," she stated as she snapped the glove into place, "Because it's going to be a _long_ night . . ." Spying the predatory grin twitching at the corners of Ritsuko's lips, Shinji felt his heart plummet and dissolve at the Earth's core, and for a brief instant he felt a kinship with a certain Light Hawk Sword-wielding temple priest.

_'Whyyyyy meeeeeeeeeeee?'_

* * *

Yawning mightily, the bleach-blonde Leader of Project-E stretched her arms wide as she walked down the corridor to her office. Raising an undyed eyebrow at the slit of light underneath her door, Ritsuko keyed in her password, then leaned against the doorframe with an irritated grimace as the entry wooshed open, "Well, well . . . look at what my cat dragged in."

Belching loudly, the purple-haired wonder of Tokyo-3 crushed the Yebisu can in her hand, then pointed one shaky finger at Ritsuko. "I knew you were a masochist with the hours you've been pulling, but _DAMN_ Ritsuko, who knew you could pull off the other side of S&M too!" Misato exclaimed with a chuckle, "What _did_ you do to that poor boy?"

Sighing tiredly, Ritsuko sat down and glared pointedly at the woman across from her, "What exactly are you insinuating, Captain? This _is _a fourteen-year old child we're talking about."

Misato opened her eyes in mock astonishment, "Why Doctor, I was just wondering about the nature of the tests you conducted. You really need to get your mind out of the gutter . . ." Chuckling as her old friend growled with exasperation, Misato leaned back in her chair with a slight smirk, "So Ritsuko . . . I take it that you conducted a _thorough_ examination?"

Leaning back herself, Ritsuko nodded professionally, "Verythorough." Noticing the purple-haired woman's lecherous expression, the scientist adopted the ghost of a smile and continued, "_Extensively_ thorough . . . _invigoratingly _thorough . . ." Guffawing at Ritsuko's jest, the NERV Operations Director picked another can of Yebisu off the floor and also handed her friend an already warmed mug of coffee, which the lab-coated woman accepted gratefully. Pausing to sip from their respective drugs of choice, Misato eventually looked up with twinkling eyes.

"And how did our boy . . . measure up?" The blond across from her nearly choked on her drink, and glared scornfully at the leering Misato Katsuragi.

"You really are sick, Misato . . . you know that, don't you?" Ritsuko stated shortly. Taking another drink from her Yebisu can, the woman in question just smirked wider.

"True, but I don't have any another way to get my kicks. So, gimmee. If I don't hear something juicy, I'll bug you the rest of the night," Misato finished with a toothy grin. Sighing loudly, Ritsuko took a moment to down a large quantity of caffeine, and without looking up finally spoke.

"I will only say that it seems puberty has yet to shed its graces on the Third Child . . ." A moment passed, and then the empty corridor outside echoed with the hysterical peals of laughter of NERV's beautiful tactical genius. After several minutes of non-stop mirth, panting and a little bit of crying could be heard as Misato struggled to regain some sense of dignity, Ritsuko looking on disdainfully. Wiping tears from her eyes, Misato took a long swig from her beer and then settled into the office's easy chair.

Face still flushed, Misato smiled lightly and asked, "Seriously though, Rits-_chan_, is Shinji-_kun_ all right?" Holding her mug in both hands, Ritsuko leaned forward and looked at her own reflection for a moment.

Frowning slightly, she said, "I don't know, Misa-_chan_. On the one hand, he's perfectly fine after his battle in EVA today—no neurological damage, no adverse biochemical reactions, nothing. As we saw before, he's in top-notch shape, with amazing levels of muscle density and stamina for someone his age and size. His organs work at the high-end of every known measurement, and his recuperative abilities are the best I've ever seen." 'Save for Rei's . . .' Ritsuko added internally, and out loud uttered, "That's the problem though—he's _too_ good. Taken as a whole, Shinji-_kun_'s physiology is beyond every normal level for what we define as _Homo sapien_. You could almost call him 110 or 120 percent human."

Across from the scientist, Misato had paled considerably as Ritsuko's words hit their mark. It was with a wavering, hesitant voice that the usually confident Katsuragi asked, "He-he's still human though, ri-right?"

Ritsuko sighed, "My first instinct would be to say, 'Yes'—even though the Third Child reads as physically _superior_ on every known statistical table, he's still within normal _limits_. And talking to him, you can tell that mentally and emotionally Shinji-_kun_ is very much a regular, human child . . ." Misato let out a breath of relief, but as she did do Ritsuko frowned, "But then . . . there's the details."

Misato gulped, "Details?"

The blond scientist nodded, "Little things . . . strange, almost indiscernible abnormalities that I can't easily explain. And you _know _how much I hate being unable to explain something . . ." Despite the seriousness of the conversation, Misato laughed.

"Yeah, you're like that Ines Fresange character in that way," the purple-haired woman quipped, and Ritsuko felt an eye twitch before she smirked.

"Oh really, 'Yurika' . . . would you like me to get our ruby-eyed 'Ruri' in here to call you an idiot, or would you rather go tend to 'Akito' down in the hospital wing?" Misato choked on the beer she was sipping for a minute, then glowered her so-called friend as the other woman grinned, "Regardless, I'm probably going to have to run Shinji-_kun_ through another battery of tests after he wakes up tomorrow morning." Misato's eyes bugged out as her jaw clanged to the floor.

"WHAT! Hasn't that kid suffered enough?" Though Ritsuko had an almost infinite level of patience when it came to her former college chum, it quickly wore away as she glared heatedly at the other woman.

"This isn't a laughing matter, Captain!" Ritsuko snapped, "That 'kid' is, right now, the only thing standing between life and the total annihilation of mankind! And I don't know about you, but the next time we have to sortie Unit-01, I'd feel better knowing _who_, or more importantly _what_, we're dealing with!" Shocked by the ferocity of the faux blond's roar, Misato had pushed herself as far back into the chair as possible, her eyes as wide as an EVA's waist size. As Ritsuko leaned over to hold her head and regain composure, Misato tentatively eased back down and put a light hand on her friend's shoulder.

"I'm sorry, Ritsuko . . . I'm really not trying to make light of your concerns. I'm worried too, believe me, and you know me—when I worry, I joke about it," the brown-eyed woman said carefully. Her soothing tone had the desired effect, as the green-eyed scientist chuckled and then looked back up at her friend with a tired smile.

"You're incorrigible . . ." Ritusko muttered, and her companion just shrugged her shoulders.

"Meh, I've been called worse in my time," Misato said with a wink, and as both she and Ritsuko leaned back in their chairs, Misato added, "I have been wondering one thing though . . ." Sensing the blond's questioning look, the russet-eyed woman continued, "When you _are_ done with Shinji-_kun_ tomorrow, where does he go from there? Does he have a place to live?" Ritsuko blinked at the sudden shift in conversation, but then frowned slightly as she pondered an answer, running one finger along the edge of her mug.

"I'm not sure . . . I doubt it'd be with his father—there aren't many good feelings between those two." Purple locks nodded sagely across from her, and taking a sip of coffee, the blond continued, "My best guess is that he's been set up in one of the dormitories here in the Geofront, or maybe a single in the apartment complexes." Misato took a sip of her own beverage, and holding the can in front of her mouth glanced off to one side.

"All by himself, huh?" she murmured. Ritsuko nodded, her emerald orbs fixed on her own drink.

"Don't worry about it too much—after all, Rei lives by herself. And she gets along just fine," Ritsuko affirmed. Still looking off the side, lost in her own thoughts, Misato nodded.

"Sure . . ." she uttered quietly, and after a pause, smiled and stood up. Stretching her arms, Misato yawned noisily and made for the door, hapilly proclaiming, "Thanks for the chat, Rits-_chan_! I think I'll hit the hay while I'm still conscious enough to drive." The signature crimson jacket was almost out the door when a firm "Misato" made the woman pause in her stride. Turning around, the NERV Captain looked down at the blond scientist, still quietly sipping coffee from her mug.

"Whatever you do, be careful . . ." eyes like jade pools opened and looked up just the purple-haired woman was about to speak, "I _know_ you, Katsuragi, and disregarding the tests that I conducted today, disregarding the fact that there is something terribly off with that boy, _he_ is still your subordinate, and _you_ are still his superior. Along with that role comes a certain distance that must be maintained, or otherwise both parties are liable to get hurt . . ." Misato frowned at the all-knowing tone in her friend's voice.

"I'm not a child, Akagi-_sensei_," she stated coolly, "I know what I'm doing." The blond-haired scientist smirked slightly.

"The last time you said that, you spent an entire week in the same bed . . ." Ritsuko drawled, and Misato's eyes narrowed to slits.

"Now that's just pure dang nasty evil . . ." the NERV Captain all but hissed. Her blond friend's smirk grew wider, but her emerald eyes remained dull.

"I know . . ." Ritsuko said softly, and then her mask of cynicism fell away, revealing the full worry just beneath, "Misa-_chan_, please . . . it's your decision, but look to yourself first." The mauve-haired beauty nodded understandingly, and then finally turned and walked away. Sighing, Rtisuko took another long swig of her coffee as she prepared to work into the wee hours of the morn. 'Tread carefully, Misato . . . if you try to have a heart around here, you'll suffocate under the weight of the horrors still to come . . .' Her thoughts trailed off as the phone on her desk buzzed, and the oft-collected scientist felt of shiver of both dread and excitement as she recognized the blinking Caller ID.

* * *

Leaning on the railing to one of Central Dogma's moving walkways, a sullen Misato Katsuragi pondered the events of the faded day. Like a movie reel, events flashed by in the theater of Misato's mind, and almost all of the images seemed to have a common element: a twin pair of dark cobalt eyes.

Holding her head with one hand, Misato closed her eyes as the images began assaulting her consciousness. Shinji, standing by the side of the road with a look of fear and confusion. Shinji, his eyes teary from her apparent betrayal in the EVA cage. Shinji, screaming in pain as the Third Angel cracked Unit-01's wrist in half. Shinji, sobbing in her arms from undeserved blame that he still took as his own. Shinji, wide-eyed and stuttering denials to her jokes about his love life. Shinji, Shinji, Shinji, Shinji, Shinji!

Still moving forward, the NERV Captain fell to her knees, one hand still on the rail. It seemed impossible that one small boy could affect her_ this_ badly, especially since she had only met him that very day. But there he was, hiding in every nook and cranny of her consciousness, pushing himself to the forefront of her thoughts with those endlessly sad, deep blue eyes. Only one other man had made this lasting an impression on her, Ritsuko's comment earlier having brought _his_ face to the surface as well, and not wanting to think about _him_ all she could turn to was Shinji.

'Why . . . why does that child haunt me so? What is it about him that makes my heart feel like it wants to cry, to burst?'

_"You know, that means we have a lot in common then, Shinji-_kun

Misato's eyes widened as her own words came back to her. Clutching the white cross around her neck, the purple-haired woman turned her gaze heavenward, as if hoping to find answers in the dark surface of Central Dogma's low-lit ceiling. Closing her eyes, Misato pondered the various similarities between herself and the Third Child, both from what she knew and what she had observed.

'We _are_ alike, a pair . . .' she thought, opening her warm eyes, 'He's as alone as I am—tossed away, discarded, forgotten like some broken toy.' Tears rolled down Misato's cheeks as more similarities came to mind, 'His eyes, so familiar, so empty. They have the same emptiness I feel in my own soul, and he's just a kid! Just a kid, but as tired with life as a twenty-nine year old woman . . .'

_"Along with that role comes a certain distance that must be maintained, or otherwise both parties are liable to get hurt . . . it's your decision, but look to yourself first."_

With a sigh, Misato stood as her conversation minutes ago came back to her. She knew her friend was just looking out for her—the blond's advice designed to keep Misato from the pain of growing too close, too attached, to a boy that could die in an instant. It was sound advice, good advice, wise advice, _rational_ advice . . . but since when did rationality and emotions ever get along? For Captain Misato Katsuragi, Tactical Operations Director of NERV, logic was all well and good, but if her gut told her something was amiss, she would follow that instinct to the bitter end.

Bowing her head, Misato rummaged around her pockets, thinking, 'Ritsuko . . . I know you told me to look to myself, but that's what I've been doing for a long time, and I'm tired of being alone. Maybe you can deal with it . . . but I don't want Shinji-_kun_ to have to go through that Hell—to have his soul slowly eaten away, day by day . . .' Her hand finally found its target, and emerged tightly clutching a slim cell phone. Staring at the grey piece of technology, Misato allowed a tentative smile to grow on her face.

'Maybe, just maybe, if . . . if I can do this one thing . . . do this one, good, selfless thing, and make another life better, even if only for a little while . . . maybe then, the pain will go away.' Whipping the cell phone open, Misato dialed a series of numbers from rote memory, then brought the unit to her ear. Her familiar grin lit up her face as a tired voice picked up and answered.

"Hello, Personnel Division? Yeah, I'm sorry—I know it's late. Listen, this is Captain Katsuragi from TACOPS . . . I was wondering, who do I have to sleep with to get a housing relocation for the Third Child?"

END CHAPTER FOUR

TRANSLATION GUIDE  
Senpai: Roughly translates to "senior"; used by a person of lower standing to a person of higher rank/class/position.  
Ano: Sound of uncertainty; equivalent to "uh".  
Bishounen: Pretty boy; often used in reference to male anime characters.  
Oi: Equivalent to "hey", the meaning depends on the context in which it's used.  
-_san_: Equivalent to Mr./Ms./Mrs.; used when formally addressing an individual, and almost always when a subordinate addresses a superior or elder person.  
-_kun_: Used in causal/friendly relationships, typically with males, and most often as a sign of light affection from a superior to a subordinate. Also used between people of the same age who share friendly relations.  
-_chan_: Similar to -_kun_ when used between individuals who share a casual relationship, and typically used with females. Can also be used to express deep affection between two individuals, where the word becomes the equivalent to "Darling".  
-_sensei_: As an honorific, used to refer to teachers, doctors, or any sort of professional or expert.


	5. Sidestory: Housebroken Biobooster

Standard Disclaimer: "Neon Genesis Evangelion" and "Bio-booster Armor Guyver" are the creative property of Hideaki Anno and Yoshiki Takaya respectively.

Other Standard Disclaimer: This fanfic is rated PG-13 (or T) for violence, swearing, and mild sexual references.

**ANIME NEWS ALERT! **According to Anime News Network, the Japanese studio WOWOW will premiere a new series _this_ August—"Guyver: The Bioboosted Armor". The plot summary on the ANN site states: "This new series is a redone version of the original but includes the rest of the story that was left out." Squeeeee!

KEY  
"spoken"  
'thoughts/written'

_**AN:** The following is a sidestory that **may** or **may not** fall into the same continuity as the rest of the fanfic. It is also a rather desperate attempt on my part to keep you readers satisfied while I keep trying to pound out Chapter 5. So, BACK! BACK, I say! (cracks whip once then bravely runs away) _

Out of Control  
A Neon Genesis Evangelion/  
Bio-booster Armor Guyver Fusion  
By: Mares Guyver

Sidestory: Housebroken Bio-booster

Thankful that there were no tests at NERV scheduled for the evening, a weary Shinji Ikari trudged up the long staircase of the apartment complex he had just recently started living in. Making his way to the door marked 14-C, the young EVA pilot smiled slightly at pleasant memories of the woman who had offered to let him stay here, the woman he now indeed lived with—the purple-haired goddess of Tokyo-3, Misato Katsuragi.

Placing one hand on the opening mechanism, Shinji called out, "I'm home!" as the door wooshed open, but was greeted only by silence. Blinking in the dark surroundings, Shinji put his bag on the floor and hit a light switch, then spotted a piece of paper lying on the dining table. Picking up the note, Shinji squinted as he tried to make out the hastily scrawled kanji.

"'NERV called. Have to work late tonight. Love, Misato.'" Blushing at the last statement, the boy paused before reading the next part, "'P.S. Here's some money for takeout—enjoy the treat!'" Glancing down, Shinji spotted a few hundred yen notes on the table, which he hesitantly picked up and stuffed in his pocket. Looking around the empty apartment once more (not even Pen-Pen was anywhere in sight), Shinji sighed somberly before dragging his bag into his room.

A quick shower and change of clothes, and the boy strode into the middle of the living room with a determined air about him. Glancing at the multiple piles of trash, beer cans, various articles of clothing, and unopened boxes about him, Shinji solemnly wrapped a handkerchief around his head and donned a pair of yellow plastic gloves. Grabbing a large garbage bag, he strode to one side of the room and began stuffing in every piece of debris he laid eyes on.

_'Misato-_san_'s been so nice to me—the least I can do is surprise her with a neat home . . .'_ That was the thought that drove Shinji as he bagged, dusted, swept, mopped, and vacuumed in every corner of the large apartment. Unaccustomed to the strange noises, Pen-Pen finally chose to make an appearance and wandered out of his refrigerator to watch his young roommate. Puzzled by the unusual behavior, Pen-Pen wondered why the human boy was bothering with such activity until he noticed Shinji holding a trash bag in one hand and a large tuna in the other. Being a smart genetically-engineered bird, Pen-Pen quickly put two and two together, and squawking eagerly he waddled over and grabbed the bag with one clawed flipper.

Together the two roommates worked until the sun had nearly set. The EVA pilot was glad for the assistance, for not only did it make the work go faster, but by holding the bird over his head, Pen-Pen could reach and dust the areas that Shinji could not thanks to his somewhat diminutive stature. The boy's own great strength proved helpful when hauling the multiple bags of garbage (mostly consisting of empty beer cans) downstairs to the complex's trash receptacles. Eventually though, Shinji and Pen-Pen settled onto the couch in the living room, and took in the fruits of their labor.

Though the fourteen-year old was merely glad to see the rooms uncluttered, his avian companion barely recognized the place. With all of the trash and boxes cleared away, the sheer spaciousness of the apartment became apparent. Every surface sparkled with cleanliness, and the bold colors of the carpeting and woodwork shone through now that everything was vacuumed and dusted. The dirty dishes in the kitchen has each been washed and shined until they gleamed like new. In the bathroom, all of the towels were folded and toiletries neatly put away, and both Misato's and Shinji's futons had been changed and smartly re-made. Along with the old sheets, the many stray pieces of clothing around the apartment had been carefully relocated to the washing machines on the complex's first floor.

Smiling lazily, Shinji thought, 'Well, all that's left is the refrigerator . . . probably too late to go to the market though . . .' Shrugging, the boy stood and casually ambled towards the steel piece of equipment. When Pen-Pen saw his young roommate's destination, his teal eyes widened in absolute terror, and squawking feverishly, he double-timed to a position in front of the dreaded unit, blocking Shinji's path. Puzzled by the bird's odd behavior, Shinji paused in step and knelt down to Pen-Pen's level of vision.

"What's the matter Pen-Pen? I just want to clean out the leftovers . . ." Shinji's eyes widened slightly, and he smiled, "Don't worry—I'm not going to touch your beer stash, or your frozen fish supply." Pen-Pen shook his head rapidly, his long red brows quivering as he tried to convey his thoughts to the boy, 'Foolish human, you are in mortal danger!'

Frowning a little, Shinji gently pushed the warm-water penguin out of the way, and then reached out for the refrigerator handle. A shrill squawk made the boy pause, and turning he watched as Pen-Pen ran out of the room and locked himself in the spare bedroom. Blinking once confusedly, Shinji shrugged and calmly opened the door in front of him. Almost immediately a force from within pushed the door open completely, throwing the young EVA pilot back against the kitchen counter. The boy's eyes bugged out as a dark green, rancid, slimy, oozing _thing_ seeped out of the nooks of the refrigeration unit and accumulated on the floor. The thing quickly grew in mass until it was nearly twice Shinji's size, and rearing up it opened a large maw of a mouth and issued a mighty "SKREE!"

'I _must_ run away, I _must _run away, I _must_ run away . . .' Leaping to his feet, Shinji whirled around to flee, but a cold and wet form wrapped around his leg, bringing him back to the ground. Lifting the boy into the air with its newly sprouted tentacle, the thing twirled its new toy around a few times before flinging the human into the living room wall. Eyes swirling, Shinji shook his head and painfully rose to his feet. As the gelatinous monster began approaching him, the boy backed away through the open door to the windy surface of the balcony. His eyes fixed on the slimy beast, Shinji's mind whirled as he tried to think up a way to beat this thing.

'Now would be a _really_ good time for _it_ to show up and save my ass . . . but is it doing that? _Noooo . . . WHOA!_' The last exclamation was due to the fact that, during his mental interlude, Shinji had backed up all the way across the balcony, tripped backwards over the railing, and was now plummeting straight to the concrete ground below. "I need _it_!" Shinji screamed, "I need _it's_ help _NOW!_"

Angry to have its meal escape, the slime creature turned around and scuttled over to the other morsel it sensed in the near vicinity. Approaching the barrier that separated it from its prize, the thing began pounding on the spare bedroom door with its tentacles, the creature's loud "SKREE!" causing Pen-Pen to squawk with fright. Just as the beast was about to knock the door off its hinges, it roared in pain as a thin beam of hot energy tore into its mass. Whirling around, the beast spied its assailant, a being clad in dark, heavy armor, standing in a ready position by the balcony door. A diode on its forehead gleamed with green light before fading out, and no, the newcomer was _not_ Samus Aran.

Pointing at the gooey monster with one arm, Bio-boosted Shinji proclaimed, "Look you disgusting . . . _thing_, I just got this place cleaned! And nobody, except maybe Misato, is going to mess it up again! So . . . uh . . . all your base are belong to us!" Sweat dropped down Shinji's, the creature's, and even Pen-Pen's necks as a long silence fell over the room.

'Man, I really need to work on the heroic dialog—URK!' the would-be savior's thoughts cut off as one the creature's multiple tentacles wrapped around his throat, then his arm as Shinji reached up to pull the appendage away. The young EVA pilot once again found himself flying through the air as the beast tossed pounded him into one of the apartment's walls, choking tighter on his throat as the creature slithered over to his armored body. Holding the boy against the wall with a few of its tentacles, it wrapped two of its others around each other and then flattened them out, forming a long blade.

"Skreeheeheeheeheeeeee . . . ." the thing cackled as it lowered its machete-like blade to Bio-boosted Shinji's throat. Though inside the armor the boy was scared beyond reason, some instinct or raw emotion deep within began bubbling up as his hand tightened into a fist. On Shinji's forehead the metallic control medal glowed vividly, and just as the beast was about to strike the boy's arm shot up—a long, humming blade extending outwards from his wrist. The blade instantly cleaved the thing's tentacle-machete in two, and screaming in pain it backed away as Shinji shakily rose to his feet. Looking down at the still extended sword on his arm, the boy paused, then concentrated as his control medal flared white. Three more swords extended from different points on his forearms, and as the combined hum of the vibrating blades filled the room, Bio-boosted Shinji could think of only a single thing to say . . .

"Groovy."

* * *

The door to the apartment wooshed open just as Shinji wiped the last scorch mark off of the wall. "I'm ho . . ." a whispering, feminine voice began, but then trailed off into silence. Confused, the young EVA pilot emerged from the hallway and saw his caretaker looking around her apartment with open-mouthed astonishment. Sensing the boy's footfalls, the lavender-haired beauty turned around and fixed her eyes on the concerned-looking child.

Bowing respectfully, Shinji uttered sincerely, "Welcome home."

"Sh-Sh-Shinji-_kun_?. . . what? . . . how?" Misato stammered, and as he stood Shinji smiled proudly, a faint blush spreading across his cheeks as he looked off to the side.

"I-I wanted to do something nice for you, M-Misato-_san_. Yo-you've been so kind to me, and I-I've been such a burden, so when I got home today, I—ouch!" Shinji paused to glance down at the warm-water penguin beside him, flipper claws fully extended, then grinned sheepishly at Misato, "That is, _we_ cleaned up the place for you. So . . . surprise?" For a moment all that could be heard was the faint rustling of the wind outside the balcony. Then tears prickled at the corners of Misato's eyes , and smiling she walked over and lightly embraced the smaller boy.

"Shinji . . . this is probably the nicest thing that someone's done for me in . . . in a long time . . . Thank you," Misato said in a slightly choked voice. An indignant wark caused the NERV Captain to blink, then laughing she released Shinji and stooped down to pick up her other roommate. "Aww . . . feeling left out, huh? Thank you too, Pen-Pen . . ." she said, kissing the penguin right between the eyes. As she put the bird back on the ground, a low gurgle rumbled out, and Misato looked at Shinji with wide eyes. Blushing furiously, the boy held one hand over his stomach and the other behind his head.

"Heh, heh . . . I guess I was so busy that I, uh, forgot to eat . . ." Misato stared at the boy for a few seconds, then laughed out loud, followed shortly by Shinji himself.

Wiping a few tears from her eyes, the purple-haired wonder smiled and said, "Well, I'm sure there's still some leftovers in the fridge . . ." Just as she began to walk away, male and avian voices cried out in unison, and Misato turned back with a curious expression on her face.

Sweating nervously, Shinji stammered, "Anoooo . . . . I-I threw the lef-leftovers out! Th-they were lo-looking pretty bad, and . . ." bowing his head, the boy finished with a quiet, "I'm sorry." Misato laughed and playfully ruffled Shinji's hair.

"That's okay, Shinji-_kun_ . . . that stuff was about a month old anyway. Maybe older; I brought it here with me when I moved in . . ." Misato tapped one finger against her cheek, then smiled and snapped her fingers, "We'll just order takeout—I know a few places that still serve this late." The lavender-haired woman turned to walk to her room and use the phone, but stopped as she felt slender fingers wrap around her wrist. Looking down, she saw a blushing Shinji holding out the yen notes she had left for him earlier.

"M-Misato-_san_, please use this . . . after all, it's for the t-two of us, right?" he finished with a nervous smile. Misato's puppy-brown eyes softened, and slowly nodding she took the money from the boy's hand. Stuffing the notes in the pocket of her crimson jacket, the purple-haired woman half-turned, then slowly came back around until she was once again facing Shinji. The EVA pilot began sweating under the intensity of the older woman's gaze, and Shinji wondered just what was going on in his guardian's head.

A timid smile worked its way onto Misato's lips, and stepping forward she leaned over and placed her palms against the side of Shinji's now flushing face. Before the boy could speak, the purple-haired beauty closed the distance, softly covering Shinji's mouth with her own. Time stood still for a seeming eternity as the couple remained locked in place, but eventually Misato pulled back and looked deep into her charge's wavering, questioning cobalt orbs.

"That was an adult kiss, Shinji . . ." she explained, "Someday, when you're older, and if you stay as sweet as you are now . . . a lot of women are going to want to do that to you . . ." the Captain's russet eyes laughed with their typical mischief, " . . . among other things . . ." With his entire face on fire, Shinji tried to break eye contact and bow his head, but Misato gently tilted him back up to look at her, caressing one cheek with her hand soothingly. Though her smile was purity itself, there was still something sad hiding just below the surface as she said, "Do me a favor, Shin-_chan_, and never change . . ."

Hugging the shaking boy one last time, Misato finally managed to turn and walk away, closing her bedroom door as she prepared to order their dinner. Back in the living room, a wide-eyed Shinji Ikari had unconsciously sunken into one of the couches as his brain tried to process what just happened. Slowly, uncertainly, the boy raised a hand to his lips, and he felt his cheeks glow pink as his fingers pulled away with lipstick on their tips. Looking at the door to Misato's bedroom, Shinji couldn't himself as a goofy smile stretched its way across his face.

_Hail to the King, baby . . . _

END SIDESTORY

TRANSLATION GUIDE  
Ano: Sound of uncertainty; equivalent to "uh".  
-_san_: Equivalent to Mr./Ms./Mrs.; used when formally addressing an individual, and almost always when a subordinate addresses a superior or elder person.  
-_kun_: Used in causal/friendly relationships, typically with males, and most often as a sign of light affection from a superior to a subordinate. Also used between people of the same age who share friendly relations.  
-_chan_: Similar to -_kun_ when used between individuals who share a casual relationship, and typically used with females. Can also be used to express deep affection between two individuals, where the word becomes the equivalent to "Darling".

**Author's Notes: **Yeah, I know, I know . . . I disappeared there for a little while, and all I have to show for that time off is this lousy sidestory. I do apologize for the delay on Chapter 3, but please understand that there has been good reason. You see, in my real life I'm a cadet in the US Air Force ROTC program, and this summer was my time to attend Field Training—our equivalent to Basic Training. For four weeks I was cut off from the rest of the world, and it's only a few days ago that I finished and got back from my encampment. Because of the time I had to spend this summer preparing and attending, I've barely started Chapter 3, but I promise I'll get it finished as soon as I can. Hopefully this little morsel will suffice for now.

Speaking of this sidestory, you may (or may not) be wondering where it came from. Well, when I was finishing up Chapter 2, I started wondering how Shinji might use his Guyver powers to help him with his everyday life. After all, there's no Zoanoids around (coughyetcough), the EVAs are better suited to fighting Angels, and he already fights crime as a vigilante in a few other fics (coughNERV's Belfrycough), so what else could he do? Then the lightbulb went off, and I realized, "Of course! The horrible, zombie-like remains of Misato's cooking!" The rest just wrote itself from there.

Like I said at the beginning, I'm not sure if I want this to fit in the continuity or not. It originally was going to be an alternate ending/omake to Chapter 3, but then I decided to offer it up as a peace offering, so now I'm not sure. I guess I'll just leave that decision up to the fans. ;-P

And last but not least, answers to your Chapter 2 questions! Thank you again to all of those readers who've reviewed my story thus far. I appreciate your feedback immensely, so keep it up!

**Brax the Great: **Uhhhh . . . (_points off to the side_) Look, some sort of evil demonic duck! (_runs away in opposite direction_)

Evil Demonic Duck: (_sigh_) . . . I knew it was a bad idea to go on strike at "El Goonish Shive" . . .

**Guyver Nut: **Shinji has no particular Guyver unit. Perhaps you got confused when I referred to Unit-01 in the first chapter. On those occasions I was talking about Evangelion Unit-01, not the Bio-booster Unit-G. And yes, you will eventually get to see Shinji bio-boost and fight Zoanoids, but that's probably a long ways off from now.

**teknoguyver: **Thanks a bunch for linking my story to your RPG site—I hope your friends there like it! As for the Guyvers' identities, at least two will be revealed in Chapter 3. As for the remaining bioboosters, I'll give you a hint for one of them. Two words: Control Metal.

**Shadow of Chaos: **I actually haven't thought about pairings—I don't really have any strong preferences when it comes to things like that. Expect some different suggestions along the way, but I anticipate that relationships (at least with Shinji) will be kept fairly ambiguous.

**Wolf(s)bane420: **Thanks for the fanfic recommendations—I'll make sure to check some of those out! As for pairings, I'm not anticipating anything right now. Who knows though, I could anyways change my mind . . .

**Fusion Blaster: **Hehe . . . I don't think that'll happen, but it is fun to think about. Maybe I'll make that into an Omake—"What if it wasn't Shinji who got a Guyver unit?", with scenarios showing how each NGE cast member would have reacted to being a Guyver. Thanks for the idea!

**DJ: **You've certainly raised some interesting points, my friend! After musing over your comments for awhile, I was struck by a vision for an event that will _now_ happen sometime later in the story. Something involving the Guyver, Shinji, a 400 percent synch ratio, and a wicked-looking EVA-01 redesign. And I owe all that inspiration to you—Muchas gracias, mi amigo!

**Ran Hoshino: **I'm using the anime/manga series primarily with touches of the OAV and live-action movies to fill in a few details. For example, most of the Guyver's functions and background history come from the series, while the violent inclinations come from the live-action movies. Also, if you've seen my design for Shinji's armor on DeviantART, you may notice that the helmet design was inspired by the OAV's Guyver II.

**Phoenix: **Would that philosopher be Han Solo by any chance? If so, you will probably remember another quote of his as the story proceeds: "I've got a bad feeling about this . . ." MUWAHAHAHAHA!

**James Ray Edwards: **Thank you so much for your sound advice and generous critique of my story, J-Easy. Being a first-time fanfic writer, I'm pretty scared of doing something wrong or telling the story in a way that doesn't ring true with the anime. Still, I'll just follow your advice and let the story flow how it will—if something stinks I'm sure someone will tell me. ;-P

And about the chapter length—when you're right, you're right. I didn't mean for Chapters 1 and 2 to be so long, but going back I easily found some plot areas where I could've broken them up and made four medium chapters instead of two gignormous ones. Once Chapter 3's finished, I'll try to keep to smaller, easier installments for the rest of the fic. The only reason Chapter 3 may be long is because it's already half written in my head, and I can't think of any way to make it shorter. Anyways, thanks again for your advice and kind words, and if I have any questions I'll be sure to contact you.

**The Monkey King: **An intriguing idea, Monkey King, though it wasn't something that I was planning. Still Kaji and Guyver I do share a connection in the past, which will be revealed in time.

**MysticSuperSaiyanGohan: **Shinji's Unit-G is just your standard, run-of-the-mill bio-booster armor, no different from any of the other Guyvers. Thank you for the generous offer of your OG's (original Guyvers), but just like OC's, I think I'm going to try to keep things as close to canon as possible.


	6. Chapter 5: Night Terrors

Standard Disclaimer: "Neon Genesis Evangelion" and "Bio-booster Armor Guyver" are the creative property of Hideaki Anno and Yoshiki Takaya respectively. If I could be reincarnated as either person, I'm not sure which series I'd like to own more—right now I can't lay claim to anything.

Other Standard Disclaimer: This fanfic is rated PG-13 (or T) for violence, swearing, and mild sexual references. **WARNING! This first scene of this chapter contains graphic description that may not be suitable for some readers. Viewer discretion is advised.**

Introductory Author's Note: Thanks go out our friendly neighborhood J-Easy, author James Ray Edwards, for generously pre-reading this chapter. And for those of you wondering how the long promised Chapter 3 somehow became Chapter 5, see the Author's Notes below.

KEY  
"spoken"  
'thoughts'

Out of Control  
A Neon Genesis Evangelion/  
Bio-booster Armor Guyver Fusion  
By: Mares Guyver

Chapter 5: Night Terrors

_Slowly the orb glowed bright white and whirred threateningly at the boy, then suddenly sprang from its casing and latched itself to his small face. A mass of oozing material, once tightly bound in rope-like coils, swelled like a pair of wings before wrapping the child in its cool embrace. Sprouting multiple tendrils, the goo spread rapidly across his body, twirling around his arms, running through his fingers, stretching across his torso, moving down his legs—it was everywhere!_

_Eyes wide with fear, the boy could only stand helplessly as the slimy thing continued its sickening caress. Soon his entire body had been entombed—he could no longer see, no longer hear, no longer touch, taste, or smell. His whole reality was a squishy, slimy darkness that began pressing against his frame with greater and greater force. On his forehead, the child could feel the smooth metallic orb burrowing deep into his skull, and without warning several pinkie-sized tendrils snaked painfully into his nostrils, his ears, and even the tear ducts of his eyes._

_The boy didn't even have time to scream before one thick, fleshy strand shoved itself down his throat._

* * *

In one motion, the door to "Shinji's Lovely Suite" was swept aside as Misato Katsuragi rolled into the room, paused, then rose on her knees and brought her 9-mm Beretta to bear. Her charge's sudden, piercing scream had quickly woken her from her alcohol-induced slumber, and its just as startling cut-off had sent her military-honed alarm bells ringing. The NERV Captain's russet eyes darted to each corner of the sparse room, looking for any possible source to Shinji's startled cry. Satisfied that no enemies lurked in the shadows, Misato allowed herself to relax a hair, and lowering her handgun, she turned to look at Shinji. The heavy steel weapon clunked on the floor as she took in the horrifying sight.

The boy was lying on his back, muscles tensed to the breaking point, arms, legs, fingers and toes spread as wide as their joints would allow. His spine was arched so that his torso rose slightly above the ground, and though Shinji's mouth was open in a broad "O", no sound emerged from his throat. If the Child was aware of the older woman's presence, his face didn't show it—his cobalt orbs were rolled upward, with visible whites like those of the undead.

Brown eyes wide with panic, Misato pounced to the small boy's side and began thoroughly shaking his shoulders, shouting Shinji's name over and over. After nearly a minute, the child's body relaxed and he settled back onto the futon, and after blinking rapidly, he focused on the near hysterical woman next to him.

"Mi . . . Mi . . . Misato-_san_?" the wide-eyed boy asked sleepily. At the sound of the young pilot's voice, tears of relief began streaming down the purple-haired beauty's face.

"Oh Kami-_sama_ . . ." Leaning over, the crying woman fiercely hugged the confused boy, her body shaking with choked bawling. Unsure as to the proper course of action, Shinji just lay there and let the women pour her heart out, and after a minute, Misato stopped shaking and released him. Sitting up in his futon, Shinji blinked with puzzlement at the teary, smiling NERV Captain.

"Shinji-_kun_, don't scare me like that!" she said with a half laugh, half sob. The brown-haired boy's eyes widened, and then he bowed his head with shame.

"I-I-I'm sorry, Misato-_san_ . . ." he said quietly, and the mauve-haired woman laughed heartily. With a warm smile, Misato reached over and affectionately tousled the boy's messy brown locks.

"It's okay, Shinji-_kun_, I was just so worried . . ." leaving her long hand in place, Misato began softly scratching the back of Shinji's neck, "Did you have a bad dream?" The boy nodded.

"Yeah . . ." he said quietly, eyes downcast. Settling onto the floor next to Shinji, Misato continued her soft caress, grateful that the boy was accepting her touch.

"Do you want to talk about it?" she asked just as quietly, and Shinji's head lowered a bit further, his bangs hiding his eyes. Seconds passed, and with a twinge of disappointment, the purple-haired beauty began to rise, but paused as the boy's soft voice slowly began to emerge.

"It . . . it wasn't just a dream. It was a memory, from before I came here." As Misato settled back onto the floor, Shinji pulled his knees up to his chest, eyes fixed on the opposite wall. After a moment he continued his narration, "It happened two years ago . . . I was being chased by some older boys from the neighborhood. We were in the woods behind my teacher's house . . ." Shinji's eyes squeezed shut as he tightened his grip around his legs, "I . . . fell, into some sort of hole—an underground cave. It was dark . . . and wet . . . and cold. Something in there . . . attacked me, and I passed out."

Frowning with concern, Misato raised her hand and placed it on the small boy's back, aiming to rub it reassuringly. But as soon as the cool fingers brushed Shinji's shirt, he started and leaned forward, covering his back with his arms and whimpering slightly. Arm still raised, the purple-haired Captain could only stare at her charge with wide eyes, her mind whirling like a dynamo.

'Wha . . . what did I do? Why wouldn't he want to be touched there . . . ?' Worry lines settled as realization set in, 'His growths . . . the accident in his dream, it must be where he got them.' Misato had not seen the blistering lesions herself, but both Maya and Ritsuko had described them to her in detail. The Third Child's Observational and Psychological Profile contained a record as well, with a notation about Shinji's overwhelming insecurity towards their presence.

Lowering her arm to a safe spot—Shinji's shoulder—Misato murmured, "That sounds horrible, Shinji-_kun_ . . ."

Still hugging himself tightly, the boy sniffed and nodded, then said, "Tha . . . that's not the worst part though . . ." Bowing his head, Shinji trailed off into silence, but after a gentle squeeze from his companion urged him on. "When I . . . woke up, a lot of the forest had burned down—someone had . . . lost control. I was _mostly_ unharmed . . ." Shinji whispered harshly, "But those other boys . . . something happened to them, too. And they were never . . . never the same."

As the young man beside her began softly sobbing, Misato looked on and quietly shared in his despair. It was obvious that the boy blamed himself for the old incident, just like he did the events following the Third Angel's attack. It had been nearly a week since that day—six short days since she had gotten herself reassigned as Shinji's guardian. In the time since that first "Welcome Home", the purple-haired woman had learned a lot about her ward, though Shinji certainly did not make the task easy. But despite the boy's seeming impenetrability, if one looked hard and long enough, you would see glimpses of the true Shinji hidden beneath.

Take his surprising passion for classical music, for instance. Misato had never really cared for the style herself, but the old instrumentals seemed to be all that Shinji listened to on his little SDAT player. She had also begun to have second thoughts when she first heard Shinji practicing on his cello late one afternoon. The tired Operations Director had been early arriving home from NERV, and upon opening the door was greeted by the low, somber tones of Bach's Suite Number 3, "Air on A G String." Curious, she had snuck up to Shinji's bedroom and peeked just around the corner of his door. The boy was sitting in the middle of his room, eyes closed, expertly drawing the bow across the large instrument that until then had been a black bag picking up dust in the corner. Looking back on it, Misato wondered if Shinji would have continued as he had if he knew that she was there.

'Probably not . . .' the NERV Captain thought sadly, as the memory of Shinji's expression while he played reformed in her mind. Though the piece was naturally very solemn, the EVA pilot had seemed to add an extra note of despair to the notes—putting all of his fear, sadness, and longing into every long stroke of the strings. His face, though focused with practiced concentration, flickered with each new emotion, rising and falling in time with the chords of the suite. Hiding voyeuristically by the doorframe, Misato had felt her heart lurch as her charge's secret pain was finally laid bare before her, pain that no one was ever meant to see or experience.

'He hurts so much inside, and he takes the woes of the world and makes them his own—even the things he has no power over,' Misato pondered as she continued to squeeze the boy's shoulder, 'What can I do, Shinji? What can I do to make you see that you're not alone? That you don't have to _be_ alone in your pain?' For nearly a minute the purple-haired beauty contemplated this problem, and eventually she removed her hand from Shinji and began unbuttoning the front of her nightshirt.

Sensing the difference in pressure on his arm, Shinji tilted his head up to look at his guardian, then immediately turned back around, his face flushing red as a stoplight. The lad's rapid-fire thoughts on his housemate's impropriety were cut short though when the woman in question uttered a quiet, hesitant "Shinji-_kun_." Right away, the boy knew that something was off. Misato's voice seemed almost . . . timid, lacking the usual liveliness and cheer it had when she was teasing or joking with him. With an audible gulp, Shinji slowly rotated on his futon until his whole body faced that of the older woman.

Resting on her knees, head bowed so that her mauve locks covered her eyes, Misato sat silently, holding both sides of her cotton shirt apart so that the front of her body lay exposed. To Shinji's embarrassed relief, Misato's undergarments were still in place, though his cheeks still flared brightly at the sight of his guardian's bare skin. His mortification disappeared though as his blue eyes widened, taking in a startling new detail that sprang to his attention. A scar—pale white, jagged, and broad—ran diagonally across the woman's body, starting just below the joint of her right shoulder, and running diagonally down her body to the top of her stomach cavity, a few centimeters above the naval. Hearing the boy's sudden intake of breath, Misato looked up, but then immediately tilted her head to the side.

"I was about your age when I got this," she began, "It also happened in a bad accident. A lot of people . . . died, but I survived, though the damage was already done." Misato closed her eyes, her brows quivering as she struggled to hold back the horrific sounds and images, "For two years, I didn't say a word to anybody—I couldn't. All I could do was remember what happened, and blame myself, even though events were totally out of my control."

Finally looking up, the older woman smiled sadly at Shinji as tears rimmed her brown eyes, "Everyone has things they don't want to remember, Shinji-_kun_—pasts that bring them so much pain that they just want to forget and move on. Some of us though, can't . . . because we have a reminder of that pain that we have to carry with us." Closing her eyes again, Misato touched the edge of the ragged white flesh by her shoulder, saying softly:

"This is mine."

A moment of silence passed in the small bedroom, but then Misato's russet orbs flew open as she dully felt small fingertips lightly graze the lower half of her mark. Hearing the woman's gasp, Shinji immediately withdrew his hand and shrank away, stuttering apologies for his apparent violation. Misato's eyes softened immediately, and reaching over she put one large hand against the side of the boy's face, quieting him, and bringing his quivering cobalt eyes back to her.

"You don't have to apologize, Shinji-_kun_," Misato said with a soft smile, "I _chose_ to show you this . . . it's not something I do for a lot of people." Choking up slightly, Misato bowed her head and began buttoning up her nightshirt one-handed, "It's . . . my flaw, my biggest shame. The one thing I feel I have to hide from the world."

Looking back up with a light smile, she reached up with her free hand and rested it on the boy's trembling shoulder, "I wanted to show _you_ though, so that you'll know that I understand. Both of us have nightmares that we wish would just fade away when we wake up in the morning. But they never do, because we see them again every time we look in the mirror. The only thing we can do about it is try to take comfort from others like us."

Slowly, carefully, the purple-haired woman wrapped her arms around and embraced the young man, bringing him close to her, though his own arms stayed loose at his sides. Twisting her head so that her mouth was by Shinji's ear, Misato whispered, "If you want me to, I'll be there for you, Shinji-_kun_." In her arms, the NERV Captain could feel the boy tremble as her words sank in.

"Misa . . . Misa . . . Misato-_san_ . . ." he began, but no other words seemed to be able to come out. Smiling softly, Misato gave Shinji one last squeeze before rising and making her way to the door (retrieving her sidearm in the process). Pausing in the threshold, she rested her hand on the light switch, and then looked back at the boy who now lay in his futon, his deep blue eyes still fixed on her.

Smiling tiredly, and recalling the very first night that Shinji had stayed in her home, Misato uttered, "Hang in there," then flicked off the lights and closed the door.

As the two housemates settled back into their respective bunks, they each struggled to get back to sleep as the enormity of the encounter just moments before weighed down on their spirits. They would have been surprised at the similarity of their thoughts as they each finally slipped into unconsciousness. Both were scared, but also slightly hopeful about the sudden shift in the apartment dynamic. Both were gladdened by the discovery that there was someone that they could possibility reveal themselves to, without fear of rejection or reprisal. And both felt extremely guilty, because though they had uncovered much, they could never tell the other the full truth of the horrors which had left them with mutually scarred flesh.

END CHAPTER FIVE

TRANSLATION GUIDE  
Kami-_sama_: In the Japanese Budo-Shinto tradition, the equivalent of God or a higher being.  
-_san_: Equivalent to Mr./Ms./Mrs.; used when formally addressing an individual, and almost always when a subordinate addresses a superior or elder person.  
-_kun_: Used in causal/friendly relationships, typically with males, and most often as a sign of light affection from a superior to a subordinate. Also used between people of the same age who share friendly relations.

**Author's Notes: **Welcome to "Out of Control" Version 2.0, reformatted for your viewing and reading pleasure! ;P

Indeed, while working on these three chapters, I decided to rework the previous two as well, based on my readers' many comments and suggestions. The impulse for this change came about a few months ago when I was invited to post my fic on Wanting to put my best foot forward, I decided that it was probably the greatest opportunity I would have to make any changes I desired. Thus far, I have been very pleased with the results.

If you've already gone back and read the old chapters, you'll know that this new version isn't much different from the previous one in terms of content. The greatest change, of course, is the conversion of the massive first two chapters into four medium-sized ones. By doing this, I hope to make those chapters a little bit easier to swallow in one sitting than their previous bulk would ever allow. This is a tread I've continued with Chapters 5-7 (which were initially one large chapter, which is why they took so long to write), and one which I hope to continue for however long my fanfic lasts. After all, as my pre-reader J-Easy continues to say, shorter chapters equal shorter writing time (as well as shorter intervals between posts).

Another large change is the vast reduction of stray Japanese words and phrases in the text. Many of you readers commented on how badly the story's pacing suffered due to the excessive amount of foreign terminology. Going back over what I had written, I felt inclined to agree, and eliminated the more useless bits of _nihongo_ scattered about the chapters. However, I didn't get rid of everything, and kept words I felt were important due to their inherent cultural weight. Thus, Japanese honorifics, titles, and personal pronouns (Mother, Father, Brother, etc.) remain, along with a smattering of other words when I feel it is necessary for literary effect. In my opinion though, I don't think they distract from the story's flow as much as the previous onslaught did.

In terms of internal revision, Ritsuko's dialogue and actions got a total revamp in an effort to make her seem more "Ritsuko-ish." I also revised some of Maya's dialogue and thoughts during her scene with Shinji in Chapter 4. The reason behind this was a review by reader **noctifer**, who expressed discomfort at Maya's apparent level of physical attraction for a 14-year old boy. Going back over the text, I also grew uncomfortable over Maya's thoughts, especially because the way they were written established a dynamic different than the one I wished to exist between her and Shinji. That problem has since been resolved.

Thank you to all of you readers for your continued patience and support of this story. I know you've been hanging in there a long time, and I hope these three chapters were worth that wait. With a little luck, and a little faith, the next installment will be just around the corner, so stay tuned!

And without further ado, to the Batmobile! I mean, to the Review Responses!

**vic: **Hope you liked the little taste of Shinji's past in this chapter, my friend. More will be revealed about his old experiences as a Guyver later on, I assure you.

**bardiel132004: **I know, I know . . . Shinji _is_ my favorite EVA character, but he's just so fun to torture (now I know why Asuka and Misato get such a kick out of it)! Still, as you've seen in this chapter, the remark _did_ serve a purpose . . . and here you all thought it was just witty banter. Ph43r my 133t ski11z! ;-P

**Cyblade Silver: **For now let us save our revelry of mutual hatred for Viz, for I have good news. No, I didn't save a bunch of money on my car insurance—apparently a Singapore company called Chuang Yi Publishing has been given authorization to print an English translation of the Guyver manga! Books 1-7 (the same books published by Viz) are already available, and Book 8 is scheduled for publication this Winter. They can by purchased via Paypal at or by Credit/Debit card at (just add a "http" and "www" to the front ;-) ). And who knows? Since AD Vision is a partner in the new Guyver anime series, a new American version of the manga may also be just around the corner! It's just like Sho said in the OVA series: "(A) Guyver never dies."

**Teknoguyver: **If I can find a way to fit Aptom in, then he will most definitely be in the story. This would simply not be a Guyver crossover if it lacked Aptom's sheer awesomeness! Besides, a sociopath like him would fit in the Evangelion world quite well, given that _every character _has a mental disorder of some sort. ;-P

**James Ray Edwards: **Good luck to you with Navy ROTC, my friend! From what little of the program I've seen at my own school it isn't for the weak of spirit, but if you're committed to the challenge you'll emerge better than you ever knew you could be. And I'm glad you caught the references I made in my Sidestory/Omake! I've made a few others in the previous chapters for my own amusement, but no one else has spotted or pointed them out yet. I guess I've hidden them too well. ;P

**AN:** Peace to you, my friends. This is Mares Guyver, signing off.


	7. Chapter 6: School Days

Standard Disclaimer: "Neon Genesis Evangelion" and "Bio-booster Armor Guyver" are the creative property of Hideaki Anno and Yoshiki Takaya respectively

Other Standard Disclaimer: This fanfic is rated PG-13 (or T) for violence, swearing, and mild sexual references.

Introductory Author's Note: Thanks to James Ray Edwards for pre-reading this chapter.

KEY  
"spoken"  
'thoughts'

Out of Control  
A Neon Genesis Evangelion/  
Bio-booster Armor Guyver Fusion  
By: Mares Guyver

Chapter 6: School Days

Shinji Ikari woke up early the next morning after a blessedly dreamless slumber. Now used to the apartment's morning routine, he showered, dressed, and made a quick breakfast of toast, juice, and cooked salmon for himself and his two roommates. As was now typical to the boy, Misato eventually stumbled out of her room and chugged her morning Yebisu, giving her usual burping exclamation while he looked on with slight disgust. The ritual complete, a now cheery and bubbly purple-haired wonder offered Shinji a ride to school after she had gotten dressed. Remembering the last few rides in the "Blue Comet of Death" as he thought of it, the EVA pilot carefully declined, saying he would rather mark the way by foot so that he'd learn how to get around by himself. Blissfully ignorant, Misato shrugged and continued readying for the day, wishing her charge "good luck" when he left a few minutes later.

Treading the empty streets of Tokyo-3, with only the endless chirping of the cicadas to break the silence, Shinji contemplated his new lot in life—being an EVA pilot, working beneath his father, and living with the totally unpredictable Misato Katsuragi. A light smile formed on the boy's face as he reviewed the memories of the last few days, between his various jaunts to NERV for poking and prodding. Life in the Katsuragi household was certainly different from the cold, sterile life he had led at his teacher's house. And while Misato was loud, boisterous, and unsettling in her seeming lack of modesty, she also made feel more . . . at home, than he ever had felt before. The events of the early morning had shown too, that in addition to her exuberant exterior, Misato had a more serious, inner face so similar to him own it was as much frightening as it was heartening.

Turning away from these disquieting observations, Shinji focused on the day at hand—his first day attending a local public school. Having been home schooled by his teacher his entire life, Shinji had no idea what to expect from the coming experience—his only taste having been the torturers from his previous life, the same ones that haunted his recurrent nightmare. Living with Misato had given the boy a twinge of optimism however, and as the Tokyo-3 Junior High School finally came into view, Shinji hoped that he would at least be comfortable here, since happiness for him was a total impossibility.

Making his way carefully through the crowd of uniformed students, Shinji entered the looming brick and concrete structure, and following the written signs directed himself to the school's main office. The grey-haired secretary stationed there, dressed in clothes and glasses a few decades out of date, gave the boy a once over before handing him a thin sheet of papers and directing him to a row of plastic seats by the door. Minutes passed as Shinji filled out the requested information, and just as he finished and rose to turn it in the door to the office opened. Striding confidently, a cute, freckled girl with brown hair drawn into twin pigtails entered the small room, pausing to look at the secretary, arms folded, one eyebrow raised in question. Rolling her eyes at the teen's attempt at authority, the older woman pointed one long fingernail at Shinji, who retreated a little, the sheaf of papers held out like a shield in front of him.

Sensing the boy's nervousness, the pig-tailed girl's stern face softened, and smiling amiably, she leaned over slightly and extended a hand, "I'm Hikari Horaki, class representative. I'm guessing you're the new transfer student?"

Nodding, Shinji weakly took the outstretched hand and shook it, "Yes, I'm Ikari . . . Shinji Ikari."

Smiling, Hikari glanced up at the digital wall clock, then back down at her companion, "Well Ikari-_san_,we've got a little time before homeroom starts . . . would you like a quick tour?" Nodding again, Shinji followed the slender girl out of the office, still feeling the gaze of the old secretary burning on his back.

Walking at a brisk pace, Hikari pointed out the locations of some of the more communal school facilities—the cafeteria, the auditorium, the gymnasium and locker rooms—to which Shinji gave short, quiet sounds of affirmation. Relinquishing the boy of his class schedule, the pigtailed teen then began explaining where each of Shinji's lab and outside classes would be for the term, as well as the best ways to get to each during the short intervals between. Again, Shinji quietly murmured his understanding, barely looking at his companion during the entire tour. Frowning slightly, Hikari pondered the slight child's seemingly standoffish behavior.

'Not really a friendly one, is he?' she thought, 'But then, maybe he's just really shy. I probably would be too if I were in his position . . . new city, new school, new classmates . . .'

Looking down at the blue-eyed boy, Hikari asked, "So Ikari-_san_, what do you think? Is this anything like your last school?" The question seemed to shake Shinji out of his fugue, and he glanced up at the freckled girl before speaking.

"Ac-actually, Horaki-_san_, I've never . . . been to public school. I was taught at home before . . . before I came here," the EVA pilot stated hesitantly. Hikari's dark eyes widened with surprise.

'That explains the nervousness . . .' she thought, and aloud she said, "Well, you're lucky to be here then, Ikari-_san_—this is a really good school." Glancing over at the boy, she smiled and said, "You must be pretty smart too to get placed in a third-year junior high class so quickly. After all, you're what? Eleven? Twelve?"

Shinji's eyes glazed over minutely, and staring straight ahead, he replied in a dull monotone, "I'm fourteen, Horaki-_san_." Stumbling in step, Hikari stood back up and quickly tried to recover as sweat beaded on her forehead.

"Oh . . . oh, of course you are! My mistake entirely! I guess I'm still not quite awake, it being so early and all . . ." Hikari trailed off as she noticed Shinji not paying her the slightest bit of mind, and looking ahead herself she flushed with embarrassment. 'Idiot! You big dope! It said he was fourteen in his student file! Now you've gone and upset Ikari-_san_ . . . and on his first day at public school too. Idiot!'

Peeking over at the smaller child, the teen frowned as she continued her mental deliberation, 'Still, I could swear he looks no older than Nozomi. Not much older anyway. Poor guy, must be one of those "late bloomers" . . .' Clearing her throat, the pigtailed girl began, "Ikari-_san_, please forgive me—I didn't mean to offend . . ."

"It's alright, Horaki-_san_," Shinji cut in, and after a pause gazed up at the taller girl with a sad smile, "Really, it's okay. I understand."

Pausing in his stride, the boy tilted his cobalt gaze up the sign reading "2-A", then turned back to Hikari, "This is our classroom, right?" Not giving the girl time to answer, Shinji entered the room, muttering, "We don't want to be late." For a moment, Hikari just stood in the hall, a mixture of confusion and concern flickering across her frowning face. The twin pigtails flew as she shook her head to clear it, then straightening her back and adopting her "Class Representative" guise, Hikari strode into the classroom.

Glancing around, Hikari noted that everyone except Rei Ayanami and Touji Suzuhara was present. For Rei, this was not an odd occurrence, and as long as she turned in her assignments the teacher did not really care if she was there or not. Shinji had already found himself a seat way off to the side, away from the main clump of students, and oddly close to where Rei usually sat. The other students were just milling around, chatting or sharing various pieces of gossip before the teacher arrived. Hikari sighed nostalgically, wishing she could join in, but knowing that she had duties to attend to first.

Setting her sights on one particular sandy-haired, four-eyed boy, Hikari took a deep breath and marched loudly over to the oblivious lad. Standing straight, hands on her hips, the pigtailed girl gave a quick cough to get the other teen's attention. Lowering his digital camera and model VTOL, Kensuke Aida blinked behind his glasses at the scowling visage before him.

"Oh, hey Class Rep," he said nonchalantly. On her forehead, Hikari could feel a vein begin to throb.

"Aida-_kun_, have you delivered those homework copies to Suzuhara's house yet?" she asked snappily. Again, Kensuke blinked, but then laughed lightly and put one hand behind his head.

"Ah, I'm sorry, Horaki-_chan_, I keep forgetting. I'll make sure to take them over to his house tonight, I promise," the boy stated with a sheepish grin. Hikari huffed at Kensuke's seeming carelessness, and crossing her arms across her chest, she glared at him with narrowed eyes.

"You'd better, Aida-_kun_, or you'll be on cleaning duty so long that—" her words cut off as the track-suited teen in question barged abruptly into the room. Not even looking around, Touji strode to a desk beside Hikari and Kensuke and plopped right down atop it. Finally noticing his surroundings, he raised a thick eyebrow at the near emptiness of the classroom.

"Wow, class has really cleared out, hasn't it?" he asked off-handedly. Still sitting at his desk, Kensuke nodded.

"Yes, it's because of that giant monster attack—people are leaving the city out of fear," the boy said as he toyed with the settings on his camera. Off to the side, nobody noticed as Shinji cringed slightly at his desk.

Touji snorted, "Cowards. As if any other place is safe . . ." Hikari sulked slightly at being totally ignored, and adopting her Class Representative stance, lowered her eyes at Touji.

"And where have you been the last few days, Suzuhara?" she asked pointedly, though she faltered slightly under the intensity of the brief glare that Touji gave her.

Looking away, Touji said quietly, "My little sis was hurt in the attack. Pops and Granddad are busy at work, so visiting her was left to me." Both Kensuke and Hikari gaped in astonishment, and the pigtailed girl instantly lost her bearing and placed her hands over her heart.

"Suzuhara-_kun_, I'm so sorry . . . I didn't know," she said softly.

"How did it happen, Touji?" Kensuke asked with an equal amount of softness. Touji sneered slightly with anger, and at his side, his hands curled into fists.

"The people in the shelter where Mari was at just couldn't wait for the fight to stop—they had to see it for themselves, the jerks. The squirt got caught up in the crowd and, well, the buildings around the shelter had been hit pretty hard. They began falling, and my sis got trapped in the rubble," Touji sighed and bowed his head, "If it wasn't for the pilot of that mecha, she might have died."

Hikari blinked confusedly, "Mecha?"

Kensuke glanced at the pigtailed girl, "It's still pretty hush-hush, but the UN has these giant, bio-mechanical robots called Evangelion—one was used to fight the monster last week." The boy then frowned slightly at Touji, "But what do you mean? Isn't the pilot at least partly responsible for your sister getting trapped in the first place?" The fair-haired boy immediately questioned his words as the bigger teen glared at him witheringly.

"Smart as you are, Ken, you don't know nothin'," Touji said, shaking his head before continuing, "After the fight, the pilot of the Eva-whatsit came back and got most of the trapped people out before the whole building caved in. Mari would have had a lot more than broken legs if it weren't for him." At the desk beside him, Kensuke smiled and held up his hands in mock surrender.

"I stand corrected," he said apologetically, then leaned over and whispered, "Though you know, I've got a theory that our new transfer student over there might in fact _be_ the pilot of the EVA." Touji and Hikari both blinked simultaneously—Touji with confusion, and Hikari with incredulity.

'It couldn't be,' Hikari thought, glancing over at the slouching, brown-haired boy, 'Ikari-_san_ seems so timid. How could _he_ be some sort of giant mecha pilot?'

'Transfer student?' Touji thought, and then followed his friends' gazes over the slumped form of Shinji Ikari, his dark eyes widening with recognition. 'Oh shit, what's _he_ doin' here?' Touji thought, though out loud he asked, "Wha-what makes you think that?"

Pushing his glasses up so that they flared slightly in the light, Kensuke grinned conspiratorially, "Well, for one, his transfer order to our school came in just before the monster attack. Who transfers schools after the term's already started? Then there's his name—Shinji Ikari. I did some digging, and I discovered that the head of NERV, the UN organization that controls the EVAs, is named Gendo Ikari. Coincidence? I think not." Sitting back in his chair with a satisfied smirk, Kensuke folded his arms behind his head and waited for his classmates' eventual and futile rebuttal.

Now, no one would attest to Touji Suzuhara being one of the brighter bulbs in Class 2-A. Gifted athlete? Sure. Prideful and stubborn? Most certainly. But grade-A brainiac? Not a chance. Still, despite his shortcomings in the academic arena, when it came to the real life situations, the track-suited teen was a lot smarter than most gave him credit for. Take right now, for instance. As soon as Kensuke had indicated Shinji as the probable EVA pilot, Touji's mind had begun whirling out a solution to the potential problem at hand. That problem, of course, was whether or not he should reveal what he knew about Shinji's little after school job. And if not, how could he divert Kensuke off Ikari's back?

Several factors weighed heavily for the negative solution to the former. First, the massive breasts and the lavender-haired babe attached to them had commanded that he keep Shinji's status secret. Second, Touji himself had promised Shinji that he wouldn't tell, and Touji Suzuhara _never_ backed down on his word. Third, the secret spilling might upset Shinji, which in turn would upset Mari, because she always got upset when people she liked were upset, and she _definitely _liked the Ikari kid. The thought of upsetting his baby sister in any way clinched the first decision for Touji, and thinking about her quickly gave a solution to his secondary dilemma.

Crossing his arms with mock seriousness, Touji slowly shook his head at the bespectacled military otaku. "Sorry Ken," he said simply, "but you've got the wrong guy. I know for a fact that the kid over there isn't the one you're looking for." Kensuke's confident grin fell a few millimeters.

"Oh?" he asked, "And what's this 'fact', pray tell?"

Grinning like a Great White off Amity Island on the Fourth of July, Touji replied, "Because he was in the same shelter as my sis was during the attack. Even went to the hospital with her." Turning around, the black-haired boy cupped his hand around his mouth and yelled, "Yo, Ikari!"

Shinji raised his head from his arms, looking around the classroom as he pulled the headphone buds to his SDAT player from his ears. Eventually his lidded blue eyes settled on the triad of two boys and one girl just a few rows over and behind him. Said eyes widened instantly as they recognized the signature black, white, and purple-collared tracksuit in the middle.

"Ah! Suzuhara-_kun_!" he said with a bright smile. Across the rows, Touji chuckled lightly while Kensuke scowled in defeat and Hikari tried to hide the light pink of her cheeks.

'He . . . smiled,' the pigtailed girl thought with wonder, 'Ikari's actually pretty cute when he smiles . . .' Still holding her flushed face, Hikari made a hesitant sidelong glance, 'He's almost as cute as . . .' but immediately broke off the thought as her face grew even warmer.

Still chuckling, Touji stood and walked over, saying, "What'd I tell you the other day—call me Touji." Locking one strong arm around the smaller boy's neck, the darkly tanned teen guided Shinji over to where Hikari and Kensuke still stood, "I was actually just telling these two how you and I met at the hospital. You _know_, after that _weird_ monster attack."

As he spoke, Touji minutely tightened his grip around the other boy, just enough to hopefully give Shinji the hint to stay quiet. Struggling not to asphyxiate, Shinji nervously smiled and nodded, and Touji loosened his hold on him.

Still seated at his desk, Kensuke sighed disappointedly, "Darn, I guess you aren't the EVA pilot after all . . ." Cobalt orbs widened at this statement, and Shinji began to speak but was cut off as Touji once again tightened his hold on the boy.

Sweating a little, Touji laughed nervously, "Heh, sorry Kensuke, but like I said you've got the wrong man. Shin-man here don't know nothin' about that freaky robot, right?" Glancing down at Shinji, who was now fuchsia from oxygen deprivation, the taller boy asked through gritted teeth, "_Right?_" and then loosened his hold on the brown-haired child.

Taking in delicious gulps of air, Shinji nodded and finally spoke after his lungs had filled, "R-right, I don't know any-anything about that." It wasn't a lie, technically. After all, Shinji _did_ know next to nothing about the Evangelion, other than turning it on and off, and sending it on violent, destructive rampages. That little fact however didn't ease the guilt he felt lying like a stone in the pit of his stomach.

Ignorant of the other boy's despair, Touji clapped Shinji on the back as he chuckled at the success of his gambit. "See Kensuke, I told you so—this kid here ain't the guy you're looking for," he said, before looking down at the slight child next to him, "So what're you doin' here, Shin-man? You're in the same class with us?"

Nodding, Shinji sheepishly put one hand on the back of his head, "Y-yeah, I guess so. Small world . . ." Touji laughed at Shinji's continued nervousness.

"Yeah, yeah it is, isn't it?" he said, then grinned wistfully, "Still, I can't believe you're here with us third-years. You must've skipped a bunch of levels to get here so fast!" Hikari's eyes widened at Touji's statement, and looking to his side she saw Shinji's dark blue orbs take on the same dull, disappointed glaze as they had earlier in the hall.

"Ano . . . Suzuhara?" she began quietly.

Not hearing the freckled girl, Touji continued, "I keep tellin' Pa that we should do the same for Mari, what with her photogenic memory and all. But no, he tells me, it'll cost too much to put her higher up . . ."

"Suzuhara-_kun_," Hikari tried again, her eyes fixed on Shinji's visibly growing gloom.

Still oblivious, the tanned teen continued his monologue, unaware of its unintentional, confidence shattering effect, "Oh, and don't you worry none about the other guys our age. If they give you any grief, I'll give 'em a good knock to the head!"

"TOUJI-_KUN_!" Hikari called out with exasperation. The girl's shrill cry had the desired result of shutting the track-suited boy up, along the rest of class 2-A. Heavy silence weighed down on the classroom, and Hikari turned maroon as she felt the eyes of every one of her classmates turn to her. The creek of the class's wooden door broke through the quiet air, momentarily diverting attention away from the pigtailed girl to the elderly, white-haired teacher slowly shuffling to the main desk. Blinking behind thick glasses, the balding man gazed around the unusually still classroom, settling his unfocused sight on the blushing girl in the room's center.

Now nearly purple with embarrassment, Hikari uttered a small "eep" and then rushed to the front of the classroom faster than you could say, "I want my hagoromo!" Pivoting on her heel, she came to attention and shouted, "STAND! BOW! SIT!" with a shadow of her former authority. The students obeyed with habitual precision, but many still snickered as they finally took their seats, much to Hikari's dismay. Behind the freckled girl, the teacher blinked at a bold-faced notice that had been taped his desk, then stood straight as his arthritis would allow and faced the class.

"I have been informed that we have a new transfer student . . ." he said with a croaking voice, peering a few times around the room with his nearsighted eyes before finally giving up, "Would the new student please rise and introduce themselves?"

With flushed cheeks, Shinji rose from his chair and nervously stuttered, "I-I'm Sh-Shinji Ikari, an-and I'm ne-new to To-Tokyo-3." Already hearing some of the comments being whispered around the room, Shinji bowed his head and finished with a simple, "And I'm fourteen years old." At these words, the whispers around the room grew in both number and intensity, while their subject sat back down and forlornly covered his head under his arms.

Mixed reactions could be seen on the faces of four people not participating in the brutal gossip spread. Hikari's face was crestfallen, her heart going out to the poor, young-looking boy. Kensuke was frowning, still troubled by his apparent miscalculation about the transfer student's identity. The elderly teacher was, well, half-deaf in addition to half-blind, and had already started rambling on about how peaches tasted so much better before Second Impact. And last but not least, there was Touji.

The dark-haired lad was sitting back in his chair with arms folded, eyes fixed broodingly on the desk in front of him. Internally, his mind was raging with self-disgust and recrimination due to his unintended insult to Shinji's self-esteem. And as his inner anger and shame grew, so did his need for some form of external release. Suddenly his large ears twitched as they picked up a sliver of conversation from a few desks to his right. They twitched again as they picked up a few more comments around the room, all very negative and mocking in nature, and all regarding the slight boy whose face was still buried on his desk. Having found an outside substitute for his self-directed irritation, Touji allowed his anger to grow unheeded at the nastiness being tossed carelessly from student to student. After several minutes of listening to the malicious statements spreading like pollen around the room, the track-suited teen could finally take no more.

Slapping his hand on his desk, Touji growled out loudly, "You all got no right to be talkin' about Ikari that way—_no right!_ If it weren't for him, you'd all probably be dead right now!" Eyes around the classroom widened in surprise, but while the majority was simply in shock, fear was clearly evident in one deep-blue set as Touji continued, "Yeah, that's right—you heard me. You all keep talking like you are, and you'll see how grateful Ikari is the next time he pilots his . . . mech . . . a." Touji's own dark eyes now widened as he became aware of exactly what he had just uttered. 'Aw crap . . .'

Animated conversation erupted around the classroom, despite Hikari's best efforts to silence it. Still by the front window, the old teacher continued to go on about the effect of Second Impact on the price of grapefruit, unaware of everything else due to his hearing aid having died three decades prior. And at his desk, Mari's own words about her brother came back to haunt Shinji as he slowly, rhythmically, began pounding his head against the wood surface.

END CHAPTER SIX

TRANSLATION GUIDE  
Otaku: A person with extreme devotion to a particular subject or hobby, sometimes to the point of social isolation and public ridicule.  
Ano: Sound of uncertainty; equivalent to "uh".  
Hagoromo: A sort of feathered robe worn by Tennyo (celestial maidens or goddesses); the item sought by the character Ceres in the manga/anime "Ayashi no Ceres".  
-_san_: Equivalent to Mr./Ms./Mrs.; used when formally addressing an individual, and almost always when a subordinate addresses a superior or elder person.  
-_kun_: Used in causal/friendly relationships, typically with males, and most often as a sign of light affection from a superior to a subordinate. Also used between people of the same age who share friendly relations.  
-_chan_: Similar to -_kun_ when used between individuals who share a casual relationship, and typically used with females. Can also be used to express deep affection between two individuals, where the word becomes the equivalent to "Darling".


	8. Chapter 7: Secrets From Within

Standard Disclaimer: "Neon Genesis Evangelion" and "Bio-booster Armor Guyver" are the creative property of Hideaki Anno and Yoshiki Takaya respectively. Though I don't own either series, the characters within are still my puppets, and I their puppeteer. So dance, my puppets, dance! MUWAHAHAHAHA!

Other Standard Disclaimer: This fanfic is rated PG-13 (or T) for violence, swearing, and mild sexual references.

Introductory Author's Note: Thanks go out to our friendly neighborhood J-Easy for his welcome pre-read of this chapter.

KEY  
"spoken"  
'thoughts'

Out of Control  
A Neon Genesis Evangelion/  
Bio-booster Armor Guyver Fusion  
By: Mares Guyver

Chapter 7: Secrets From Within

"The subject for today's briefing is my examination of Shinji Ikari, designated Third Child and pilot of Evangelion Unit-01. In addition to his Post-Operational Status, I feel it's necessary to bring to light a number of crucial findings which—"

"Doctor Akagi . . ." a voice cold as steel cut in, "You have been allowed a very generous amount of time to complete the Third Child's POS report. Are these other . . . details, really necessary?"

Sagging emerald eyes flashed with anger, but closed before they could glare at the amber-colored lenses just across the room.

Taking a deep breath, NERV's Chief Scientist took a moment to gather her composure before answering. "Tired" was too small a word to describe her current state of being. For the last several days, Ritsuko Akagi had been working nonstop to analyze and understand the colossal amount of data she had accumulated on the Third Child. Examinations of Shinji had been equally as constant over that time—with test results raising more questions than delivering answers. Now, nearly a week since the Third Angel attacked, Ritsuko was sleep-deprived, brain-drained over-caffeinated, barely showered, unbleached, and just about ready to snap at anybody who even looked at her funny.

Unless, of course, that person happened to be Supreme Commander Gendo Ikari.

Clearing her throat, the platinum blonde gazed calmly at the two individuals across from her, "I feel it is necessary, sir. My additional research not only presents a possible explanation to the Third Child's unusual synchronization ability, but also raises the critical issue about whether or not it is safe to keep him as the pilot of Unit-01." This statement caused the eyebrow of Gendo Ikari to pique with curiosity, and behind his folded white gloves, the man nodded for Ritsuko to continue.

Nodding in reply, Ritsuko turned to the screen beside her, which displayed numerous graphs and numerical information, "In my first physical examination of Pilot Ikari, I was able to confirm that he suffered no major neurological or physiological damage post-synchronization."

"The only exception was a high residual nerve echo due to his elevated synchronization and the heavy damage sustained by the EVA. Psychologically, he seemed sound though shaken by the experience. In addition, I was able to confirm several preliminary readings which were received from the entry plug in regards to the pilot's metabolic and physical capabilities." The doctor paused for a moment to allow this initial information to sink in.

Standing beside the seated Supreme Commander, Kouzou Fuyutski tapped a finger by his chin, "Was there anything unusual about these readings?"

Ritusko smiled thinly as she thought, 'Only that his superior _total _physiology nearly falls into the realm of impossibility.' Out loud, she stated, "The numbers show that the Third Child is in atypically good shape for a fourteen-year old boy, with greater respiration, metabolism, neural, muscular, and recuperative capabilities than we previously anticipated. His biological systems all function normally and efficiently—in sum, he's the perfect pilot specimen."

Unseen, Gendo allowed the ghost of a smile to flicker on his face before stating, "Continue with your briefing, Doctor."

Behind the lab-coated woman, the screen shifted to a nude silhouette of the Third Child, which Ritusko turned to before saying, "The only major abnormality I discovered was the presence of two tumors or lesions near the base of his neck, here." As she pointed a laser pen at the screen, the appropriate area lit up and displayed a photo of the twin red lumps, "It was determined that the swellings are not cancerous in any way, and reviewing the boy's medical history confirmed that they were acquired in an accident roughly two years ago—some sort of forest fire.

"It was initially concluded that these were simply a variant of scar tissue left by the incident, but this is now known not to be the case, which I will explain momentarily." A new picture came up on the screen, this time a line chart that initially rose up at a consistent incline, but then abruptly stopped and became a horizontal line.

Turning to her two superiors, Ritsuko continued, "Following the initial examination of the Third Child, I consulted his medical history to weigh the validity of the current data against previous results. It was in doing this that I discovered the first . . . peculiarity." Folding her arms, the faux blond turned her head back to the screen for a moment, then tilted her emerald eyes back forward, "This chart shows the progress of Pilot Ikari's physical growth over the course of his lifetime. Notice anything odd?"

Frowning, Fuyutski said, "It stops."

Nodding, Ritsuko turned her head back to the chart, "Exactly. Starting at a point over two years ago, coinciding exactly with the accident I mentioned before, the Third Child's physical growth halts entirely."

Turning one eye quickly to his silent companion, Fuyutski began stroking his chin, "Most peculiar. One would expect that, being a teenager, Shinji would be sprouting like a weed."

"Or at least _growing_," Ritsuko said with a sigh, "But for the last two years he hasn't even grown a millimeter." Shaking her short dyed locks, Ritsuko stated, "Regardless, it was at this point that I felt additional examination was required."

Behind her, the screen changed to show several different pictures of the Third Child, from X-ray photographs to MRI scans and microscope slides. "Macroscopic external and internal examination revealed no cause for the growth deficit, though it did provide new insights into the nature of the Third Child's tumors."

The picture behind Ritsuko changed to a close-up cross-section of Shinji's profile, "Using the latest scanning methods, I was able to determine that these growths are in fact separate organ systems, with their own blood supply and direct neural connections to Pilot Ikari's central nervous system. Though the function or inner workings of these 'organisms' is still unclear, sensors were able to detect from both clusters the emission of minute amounts of electromagnetic radiation."

Behind his folded hands, Gendo's deep voice rumbled out, "Is this radiation dangerous?" Across from the large, black desk, Ritsuko shook her head.

"No, the radiation is given off in such small doses that it barely registers—it was only discovered by chance," the blond stated, "What _is_ unusual is that the radiation seems to be emitting in the form of two distinct patterns. The first widely disperses in a field that completely surrounds the pilot, extending outward roughly half a meter before dissipating completely. The second though is more focused, and most importantly, has a responding terminus within EVA Unit-01."

Grinning internally at the now visibly shocked Commander and Sub-Commander, Ritsuko continued, "It is the presence of this signal, which has the exact same modulation, frequency, and wavelength as the A-10 connection we use in the EVAs, that has led to my current conclusion. I am now certain that it these organisms which are responsible for the Third Child's increased synchronization ability. They are also the source of our earlier difficulty in establishing said synchronization." Finally allowing the hint of a smirk to grace her lips, Ritsuko leaned back with her arms folded, waiting for her audience to react.

For several minutes, the blond doctor's statement just hung in the clammy air of Gendo's office. Three minds simultaneously whirred at the ramifications of the discovery—oh, the possibilities! If the workings of Shinji's organisms could be broken down and analyzed, perhaps they could create an artificial device that functioned in the same manner, improving on the current synchronization method ten, maybe twenty-fold! Maybe the technology could even be used on people other than those born after Second Impact, allowing for less impetuous and erratic EVA pilots than the current stock available. Or even better, do away with human pilots entirely by improving the abilities of the still experimental Dummy Plug system.

For the first time since the meeting began, Gendo lowered his hands so that they rested atop his desk. "I congratulate you on this discovery, Doctor Akagi—certainly, it will be most beneficial to Project E and related research," he began calmly, "However, your evidence raises an interesting question regarding the Third. Since these organisms he possesses are constantly emitting a synchronization signal, it stands to reason that he is also in constant synchronization with EVA Unit-01. Does the possibility then exist that the pilot could command EVA remotely?" Internally, Ritsuko laughed like a banshee at the hidden question behind the question.

'What Gendo, you think Shinji-_kun_ will take Unit-01 for a joyride? Or better yet, convince her to go berserker and come gunning for you?' the blond scientist thought, but out-loud stated, "The possibility occurred to me as well, sir. However, my tests have shown that Pilot Ikari's synchronization ratio remains steady whether he's trying to synch with EVA externally or not—somewhere in the degree of 0.00001 percent. The only time the Third Child was able to achieve true synchronization was when put in an Entry Plug, AND only when that plug was fully inserted into Unit-01. He can't even synchronize with the practice plugs—it has to be the real deal."

At his desk, Gendo quietly settled more comfortably into his chair, much to Sub-Commander Fuyutski's amusement, and refolded his hands beneath his nose. "Is there anything else, Doctor?" he asked pointedly.

"Yes, sir," Ritsuko said evenly, and behind her the screen changed to show a computer-rendered image of a human cell, as well as several base-pair sequences of double-stranded DNA. "Since macroscopic examination did not determine the cause of the Third Child's arrested growth, I began a thorough microscopic examination of all cellular tissues. Within every type of cell, I found an unusual collection of proteins and chemical compounds previously unrecorded in human body structure. More importantly, I found a total lack of the process of genetic degradation—the microscopic signs of aging."

The screen once again changed to a close-up display of the DNA helix, and Ritsuko turned around to face the image, "As you know, as the body ages, certain portions of the genetic code decay—sort of like a clock winding down. The current theory is that when these portions break down entirely, well, that person's time is up. However, with Pilot Ikari, this simply is not the case."

Pivoting quickly, Ritusko looked straight into the cold eyes of NERV's Commander, "The Third Child shows absolutely _no_ signs of this degenerative process, and when factors are introduced to induce the aging cycle, his body fights it off, maintaining homeostasis. In other words, Pilot Ikari's biological clock is fixed—he simply does not age." Across the room, Gendo made no visible sign of being affected by this statement, but Fuyutski gasped audibly.

"What are saying, woman?" he stammered, "Are you telling us that the Third is immortal?" The lab-coated Chief of Development just sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose.

"By some definitions, yes, he is . . ." she stated, looking up at the slack-jawed Sub-Commander, "But if you're worried about security, don't be—Pilot Ikari is not invulnerable. He's at least human in that regard." Unnoticed by all, Gendo's hands clenched just a hair tighter.

"Are you implying, Doctor, that the Third Child is inhuman in every other regard?" NERV's Supreme Commander asked evenly, though with an audible edge. That edge was sharp enough to finally cut through the last of Ritsuko's restraints.

"Yes! That's exactly what I'm saying, Commander! Shinji-_kun_ is beyond every norm for what we define as human, in addition to his other extraordinary characteristics! He's almost as alien as the Angel he fought last week!" she exclaimed with exhaustive exasperation. If the bottle blonde expected a reaction from the infamous "Poker Face" Ikari, she was sorely disappointed, for all he did was stare at her behind his flashing orange-red lenses.

After a pause, Gendo spoke, "You will deliver all files and backup disks of this information to me, to be sealed under Omega-level security clearance. I will place all data pertinent to Project-E under Gamma-level, but all facts regarding its origins will be erased." Across the room, Ritsuko's face reddened to the tips of her dark roots.

"You . . . you can't do that! That's my research!" she shrieked angrily. Behind his folded hands, the Almighty Bastard King smirked freely.

"Incorrect. 'Your' research, _Doctor_, is the property of NERV, and is by extension, _mine_," Gendo stated, amused by his sometime lover's antics. The scientist is question looked fit to pop, but then suddenly became eerily calm and composed. Turning, she gathered her notes and laptop, and promptly proceeded to the door. But just as she entered the threshold, Ritsuko paused, and then rotated her head back to look at her two superiors.

"Oh, I forgot to mention . . ." the blonde stated, her jade eyes glinting dangerously, "Did you know that your son has 24 chromosome pairs?" Fuyutski gaped once again, and even Gendo seemed to falter a little.

"_Homo sapiens_ only have 23 pairs," the Commander stated. Smirking, Ritsuko nodded, reentering the cavernous office with an ambling gait.

"Indeed they do, but sometime between when Shinji-_kun_ had his blood drawn here as a child, and a few days ago, he magically acquired a new pair," she stated sarcastically, shrugging her shoulders once, "I guess it was just one of those freak occurrences."

Gendo's eyes narrowed faintly behind his glasses, "You are dismissed, Doctor Akagi."

Unheedingly, Ritsuko continued her strut to Gendo's desk, "Oh, and you should see how Pilot Ikari's cells react to just the right degree of electromagnetic stimulation. They go wild! Especially the 24th chromosome pair—they start transcribing proteins like seamstresses in a Hong Kong sweatshop . . ."

Gendo's eyes narrowed further to mere slits, and his teeth ground together as he hissed, "You are _dismissed_."

Shaking her head, and reaching the edge of the mammoth desk, Ritsuko leaned over so that her face was centimeters away from the Commander's. At their side, Fuyutski stood with his mouth agape, too shocked by the doctor's careless behavior to do anything. Eyes glinting with a twinge of inherited madness, Ritsuko drawled, "Pity that the metabolic changes only last a few seconds, and it's true that the MAGI gives an '09 System' as the probability of the required stimulation occurring naturally. Still . . ." she grinned wickedly, "A normal human wouldn't have to worry about such things, would they?"

For many people, there are several words that could be used to describe Supreme Commander Gendo Ikari. "Cold", "callous", "frigid", and "quiet" are a few of the nicer ones. To many, he is like a silent mountain—an iceberg floating in the vast, dark ocean of his titanic office. Few have seen him express emotion, and those to see him angered are even fewer and farther between, as the vast majority cease to exist shortly after witnessing the event. Ritsuko may have thought she had seen Gendo's fury before, his passion released only twice in recent memory—the first being the activation test of Unit-00, and the second occurring during the rare occasions that they shared the same bed. However, the blond scientist was greatly mistaken in her estimate of Gendo's hidden rage, and thus could not have anticipated the effect her words would have on him.

Rising rapidly from his seated position, his face contorted grotesquely with a crimson haze, Gendo bellowed at the top of his lungs, "GET OUT!" Due to their previous proximity, Ritusko tumbled backwards onto to her rear, her dark green eyes wide with absolute terror at the furious apparition before her. Scrambling to her feet, tearing the hem of her white lab coat in the process, the blond women grabbed her materials and ran as fast as she could to the door, pausing only to let them open before disappearing into the hall.

Wheezing heavily, head red and bright with sweat, Gendo slowly lowered himself back into his chair, slouching as he placed one elbow one the surface and lightly held his face in his hand. Snapping back to awareness, Fuyutski drifted over to his former student's side, but Gendo raised his free arm and weakly waved the elderly man off. Sensing that the younger man wished to have some privacy, Fuyutski quietly exited the room through a hidden side door that led to his own office.

Alone in the colossal office, with only the illuminated Tree of Sephiroth as company, Gendo allowed his head to lower to the smooth, cool surface of his desk, resting it in his arms in an unconscious imitation of another Tokyo-3 resident. For several minutes he remained like this, but then slowly, and shaking, reached beneath to a slotted compartment he had personally installed. Sitting back up in his chair, he carefully pulled out the compartment's precious content—a simple black metal and glass picture frame.

Tilting the frame up so that it was visible in the dim office light, Gendo took off his glasses and stared as he often had so many times before. Within the frame was housed a faded and faintly worn photograph. It displayed a much younger Gendo Ikari, standing tall and proud, his dark skin clean-shaven and his large, bug-like eyes staring out unaided by the glasses his older counterpart now coveted. The ghost of a smile showed on the younger man's face, the reason behind his cheer sitting serenely just below him. Both adults were dressed in identical lab coats and turtlenecks, but while the overly large coat and drooping sweater gave the lean, standing man a malicious air, the same garments seemed warm and inviting on the slender, sitting woman.

Removing the glove from his right hand, Gendo used the rough, scarred tip of his thumb to stroke the glass-enclosed paper cheek of the pale, gently smiling brown-haired women, her laughing, bright-green eyes burning into his own dark-blue ones as they always had. "Yui . . ." he murmured quietly, and the man would have wept had the tears of grief not dried up a seeming eternity ago. As the memories of past and vanished happiness flashed across the Commander's face, he used his eyes to follow the curve of his love's arms to the bottom of the picture.

Sleeping peacefully, one small thumb tucked comfortingly in his mouth, a brown-haired boy no older than a year old lay securely in the woman's tender embrace. The child was tilted outward just enough so that his face was clearly visible, along with the sweet, innocent smile that graced his tiny lips. Unbidden, Gendo's mind rushed backwards to the memory of the park where the photo was taken, his own past words booming within the temple of his consciousness.

_"If it's a girl, then we'll call her Rei. If it's a boy . . ."_

"Shinji."

END CHAPTER SEVEN

TRANSLATION GUIDE  
-_kun_: Used in causal/friendly relationships, typically with males, and most often as a sign of light affection from a superior to a subordinate. Also used between people of the same age who share friendly relations.


	9. Chapter 8: Plots Within Plots

Standard Disclaimer: "Neon Genesis Evangelion" and "Bio-booster Armor Guyver" are the creative property of Hideaki Anno and Yoshiki Takaya respectively. Though I'd love to own both, the copyrights have been locked away in a vault somewhere within the Forbidden City, far from the grasp of psychotic fanfic authors like me.

Other Standard Disclaimer: This fanfic is rated PG-13 (or T) for violence, swearing, and mild sexual references.

Introductory Author's Notes: Sorry for the delay. Blame it on standardized education, if you want to.

Also, this chapter was pre-read by our friendly neighborhood J-Easy. Go read his excellent Love Hina/Negima fusion "Blue Blue Glass Moon, Under the Crimson Air"—do it_ NOW!_

KEY  
"spoken"  
'thoughts'

Out of Control  
A Neon Genesis Evangelion/  
Bio-booster Armor Guyver Fusion  
By: Mares Guyver

Chapter 8: Plots Within Plots

Somewhere in the infinity of cyberspace there existed a dark, dark room. And in the center of this room there was a dark, dark desk. And sitting around that desk, illuminated individually by different colors of the rainbow, were five very dark, dark men. Each one of these men possessed dark, dark hearts, and they each held dark, dark thoughts and dark, dark dreams for the future of humanity. They sat with growing impatience in the dark, dark room, with growing dark, dark tempers at the tardiness of their dark, dark appointment.

"Good day, gentlemen," Gendo Ikari stated calmly as his form winked into existence, seated as usual with his hands steepled in front of his face. Around the room there was much coughing and harrumphing, but with that brief pause the gathering immediately began its business.

"The Committee is concerned with the delay of your report, Commander. Is there something of importance that we should know about?" asked Admiral Cardinal, the UK representative.

Gendo shook his head, "Nothing of any weight. The data from the battle with Third Angel was somewhat . . . muddled, and took longer to analyze than would be expected." Further down the table, a yellow-illuminated Committee member pushed a pair of wire-rim glasses further up his hawkish nose.

"In regards to the Angel confrontation, we understand that a new pilot candidate was brought in—the Third Child. More to the point, we have learned that the name of this pilot is Shinji _Ikari_. Is it true that this child is your son, Ikari-_kun_?" French Representative Jaune asked with a sneer.

"Imagine, giving a war machine like Evangelion to his boy like some damned birthday present!" Senator Greene of the United States barked contemptuously. At the end of the table, Gendo remained characteristically stone-faced.

"It is true that the Third Child and I share a biological relation, but any other form of connection was severed years ago. He is only listed as the pilot to Unit-01 due to the recommendations of the Marduk Institute," the bearded man said evenly.

Admiral Cardinal snorted, "The Marduk Institute—indeed! Considering the boy's performance in combat, I wouldn't put much stock in their evaluating abilities."

"The cost of repairs to Units 01 alone are enough to bankrupt a small nation. Never mind the damage done to the fortress city," added Ambassador Golubenko of the Russian Federation. At the end of the table opposite Gendo, a grey-haired individual with a wraparound, single-lensed headpiece leaned forward on one elbow.

"These logistical issues aside, the most important point is that the events long predicted have finally come to pass. All efforts must now be placed into fulfilling our ultimate responsibility," Keel Lorenz rasped in a rough tone, tapping a file folder on the desk with one finger. "The Human Instrumentality Project."

"At this point in time, truly mankind's last hope," whispered Representative Jaune, and glancing one-eyed at Gendo he said, "You should be doing everything in your power to fulfill your personal obligations."

"You have no other choice; nor do we. There is no turning back," stated Senator Greene with a grimace.

"I know," Gendo said simply, then placed his palms on the table, "Will that be all, gentlemen?" A long pause followed, the Committee members glancing at Keel, who in turn traded glares with the man seated across the dim room. Eventually though, Keel settled back in the holographically projected chair.

"This meeting is adjourned," the old German said before fading away into the dusk. One by one, the other Committee members blinked out until only Supreme Commander Gendo Ikari was left alone in the dark. He allowed himself to let out the breath he had been holding in, and then smirked slightly before signing off himself.

For what may have been merely seconds in the outside world, the dark room remained, cold and desolate. Then with a silent roar, twelve illuminated black monoliths shimmered into being. The rectangular shapes were smooth and simple in design, their only feature being a glowing red number, and the words "Sound Only" written just beneath. Minutes of silence passed as the individuals behind the digital avatars solidified their connection, but then a single voice emerged into the gloom.

"Ikari is keeping secrets," 08 stated bluntly. A chuckle emerged from the direction of 03.

"Of _course_ he's keeping secrets. Ikari believes himself a great conjurer, distracting us with one hand while he readies the other behind his back. He is all the more a fool because of it," 03 said with audible amusement.

"Indeed, Ikari's own plans, while alarming, will only serve our benefit in the end. All we need do is allow him and the Evangelion to set the stage for our final Scenario," 06 uttered, and noises of confirmation rumbled from the majority of the monoliths.

"I still do not understand why we allow Ikari to proceed unleashed," 11 snarled, "His design for Instrumentality goes against everything we've worked for! The damage he and the pilots under him could do to the Scenario is formidable—why does the Leadership let him stay uncontrolled?" Sighs wafted around the dim room.

"We have discussed this before, and the Leadership is in agreement," 02 stated.

"The best kind of puppet is one which is unaware of the strings in his back," 01 proclaimed, "Ikari can be tamed if necessary, but for now, let him think he has the upper hand. He will follow his sentimental obsession to the very end."

07 added confidently, "Soon the Adamian will be vanquished, the tools for the Ascension will be in place, and once the Seventeenth is defeated, our forces will be waiting to obliterate NERV completely."

More sounds of affirmation drizzled between the rectangular solids, the Gospel having long been memorized by each member of the gathering. Discussion quickly gave way to the end result of the Third Angel's attack, and how much it had deviated from the current Scenario. Small changes were required, as was wont to happen when tugging at the threads of Fate, but for the most part the group was in agreement as to the next steps to be taken as dictated by ancient design. Moving along in their predetermined agenda, the gathered forms began giving status reports on their individual efforts to support the continuing Scenario, beginning with 01 and moving along in order. But as 12's report reached wound to its conclusion, a crazed giggle suddenly erupted from the direction of 09.

"Interesting how you've overlooked the pre and post battle data Ikari-_sama_ was hiding about his son, or had you all forgotten?" 09 interjected contemptuously, before the reproachful harrumph of a clearing throat emerged from 02, prickling the burgeoning ego.

"The information about the Third Child's biology changes nothing in the Scenario," 02 said with only a hint of hesitation, though rather than bringing the matter to a close, gave an opening for 05 to show off his own knowledge on the subject.

"Indeed," 05 stated ignorantly, "The information that Ikari withheld only confirms what has been suspect for the last few days. We now know for certain that the Third Child is really a Guy . . ."

"Do **NOT** utter that disgusting word in my presence!" 04 roared, causing 05 to immediately grow silent, "Bio-boosted or not, Councilman Khan has stated that it is of **NO** concern!"

Another giggle emerged from 09, "Really, Hiyern. 'Bio-boosted'? Why not use the _true_ term for what young Pilot Ikari is—a Guyver!" Loud, alarmed muttering exploded around the chamber, while 01 tried to restore order and 09 sniggered with maniacal glee.

"_Another_ Guyver! As if the others weren't bad enough!" exclaimed 10.

"The Three managed to defy the Titans' wrath for several years. That one of their ilk is pilot to EVA is most distressing," added 08 with the barest hint of worry.

"Could Ikari already be under the protection of the Celestial Thunder?" 11 queried in a shrill and anxious tone, "We're done for if NERV has forged an alliance with—"

"Gentlemen, Gentlemen, if you would please just quiet down for a moment . . ." 01 uttered soothingly, but was drowned out by the rising volume of panicked bewilderment.

"Guyot . . ." 04 hissed threateningly, but the voice's intended recipient cut him off.

"And what's with all this cloak-and-dagger nonsense?" 09 asked to the assembly, "Are you all really _that _afraid to reveal yourselves to one another? Do you really trust the organization you've devoted your lives to _so_ little?" Various growls of hushed disdain could be heard throughout the room.

"Why does the Leadership tolerate the presence of such a . . . ?"

" . . owes the Council his life. Wouldn't have survived without . . ."

"So what if he _helped_ bring about the downfall! Never a loyal agent . . ."

" . . always the apple polisher. I'll bet Guyot has the Chairman wrapped around his . . ."

"Mas—Councilman Keel," 04 finally snarled, "I must again raise my objections to the membership of this self-serving, traitorous, and detestable piece of . . ."

"_Gentlemen!_ Calm yourselves!" 01 interjected loudly, and immediately all conversation ceased. For several seconds, the only sound was heavy breathing from various monoliths around the room. Eventually though, slowly and carefully, 01 began speaking again.

"While lacking . . . tact, Councilman Guyot's observations are correct. If we are to see our efforts through, we must begin trusting one another. I understand the security risks, but think of this as a test . . ." and like the clicking shift of a slide projector, the monolith of 01 changed into Keel Lorenz's hunched form, ". . . of your dedication to SEELE."

Muted sounds of disapproval drifted about the room, but slowly, one by one the black monoliths faded away and were replaced by a seated human being. Between the twelve individuals an illusionary round table appeared, a few of those gathered already leaning forward to rest against it. Seated under the Roman numeral I, and shifting weight from one arm to the other, Keel slowly passed a cycloptic gaze over the diverse group making up the assembly.

With little exception, all of the figures in the dark room were male and aged, save for two seated close to Keel beneath the numerals III and IV. Membership to this ultimate gathering was a privilege allowed only a select few from generation to generation. Independently powerful and influential in their own areas of the world, as a whole this congregation represented the presence of their ancient order around the entire globe. From the shadows these twelve had watched and partially ruled the Earth, secretly manipulating events towards their final, eventual aim.

This was the High Council of SEELE.

"Now that we've regained some _composure_," Keel said with a slight edge, causing some Council members to wince, "We will begin discussion on the existence of this . . . new development."

An older, bald-headed woman dressed in Zambian tribal robes—apparently the only female present—raised her hand and Keel nodded in her direction. Leaning her chin on folded hands, African representative SEELE 12, or Councilwoman Edith Nkandu inquired, "I am curious as to how we first became aware of this child's nature. I understand how the research conducted by NERV's Chief Scientist confirmed the suspicion, but how did the idea originate?"

Seated beneath the numeral V, Senator Greene smiled toothily beneath his Roosevelt-esque moustache, "It is quite simple, my dear—one of our membership was able to sense the boy's pain during his fight with the Third Lost Child." Beneath the numeral IV, a bearded young man of Arabic descent scoffed slightly.

"Impossible. No one with any mental powers, not even a _Master_, could detect the pain of a Bio-boosted human," Councilman Jearvill Bun Hiyern of Persia said shortly, "To be capable of such, one would have to be another . . ." The turbaned man's pale eyes widened, and across the table, a green-eyed, messily white-haired man seated beneath the numeral IX chuckled.

"Another . . . Guyver?" Councilman Richard Guyot of Spain asked mockingly, and then grinned, "Right you are, Hiyern, right you are."

Hiyern spluttered slightly, aghast, and turned from the leering mug of Guyot to Keel and the man seated beneath the numeral II. "Why was I **not** made aware of this?" he asked with the barest hint of anger.

The composed, elderly representative to North and Central Asia closed his eyes and sighed.

"Because we knew this would be your reaction, Councilman Hiyern," Councilman Carbal Khan said calmly, "Your disgust and hatred of the Bio-boosted is well recorded." Khan's soft tone smothered much of Hiyern's fury, and with a slight frown he sat back in his chair, arms folded.

"I still should have been informed," he said simply, but then glanced at Guyot, "Can this . . . individual, be trusted?" Guyot just grinned back maniacally at the Arab.

Representative Jaune, seated beneath the numeral VI, nodded confidently, "Rest assured, Councilman Hiyern, that this man's loyalty rests solely with SEELE."

"Like you, he was a devoted though low-level member of . . . our former opposition, and acquired a Bio-booster Unit quite by accident. Unfortunately, his Control Medallion was damaged and he was easily defeated by an enemy Guyv—Bio-boosted. Thus, thought forever irrecoverable, he was abandoned and left for dead." Councilman Jaune glanced over to the mustached man seated beside him, who nodded and continued the dialogue.

"Our scientists recovered the Control Medal—damaged as it was—and thanks to the resources gained in the takeover after Second Impact, we were able to repair it. Once it was fixed, the Medal instantly regenerated its host; he was so angered by the betrayal of his former masters that he immediately swore allegiance to SEELE. The man's only motivation now is revenge against his personally declared rival and the other Bio-boosted," Councilman Greene finished, and across the table Hiyern nodded after a pause.

After all, no human could lie in the presence of a Zoalord.

Seated beneath the numeral X, Micronesian Councilman Jesse Urusemal asked off-handedly, "I'm assuming that this . . . gentleman, is now at full functionality?"

At the seat marked with the numeral VII, Admiral Cardinal of the Royal Navy nodded, "As our most powerful combatant, he has been made Commander of our growing armada. At the Eve of Red Earth, he will lead our land forces against Tokyo-3."

Leaning back with folded arms and narrowed eyes, Councilman Alvaro Pastrana of Columbia, or SEELE 11 stated, "This 'combatant' was defeated once before, and should the other Bio-boosted reappear—particularly the Dark God—his abilities may once again prove useless. The Leadership is foolish to place so much trust in an incompeten—_urk_!"

Gasping loudly, Councilman Pastrana loosed his tie and collar, and then grasped at his neck as if he were being chocked. Seated between Khan and Hiyern, a tall, dark-skinned man with the facial tattoos of an Indian yogi grinned maliciously.

"I find your lack of faith disturbing," Councilman Luggnagg de Krumeggnic stated coolly, a small round jewel glowing slightly on his forehead. At the other end of the tall Indian's glare, his target continued to gasp desperately while others murmured around him.

"That is enough, Councilman Krumeggnic," Keel declared, but Krumeggnic paid the elderly German no heed, his grin widening Councilman Pastrana started to turn an interesting shade of chartreuse. Frowning slightly at the apparent insubordination, Keel looked directly at Krumeggnic, the single lens of the wraparound glowing blood red.

"Krumeggnic, _release him!_" Keel's voice bellowed with amplified authority, and the bald Indian looked back at the older figure with wide, white eyes.

"A-as you wish," he uttered shakily, and as the glow on his forehead faded the Latino collapsed on his desk, slowly taking in large gulps of air. Still frowning, Keel shifted to look from Krumeggnic to SEELE 10, and then around the rest of the dark room.

"This bickering is pointless," Keel said, the visor lens returning to normal, "While dangerous, the threat of the Guyvers _and _this latest development have been already accounted for."

"That is precisely why we are allowing the Third Child to remain where he is," Khan said assuredly. As all eyes turned to him, the withered Asian continued, "Like our own soldier, the other Bio-boosted would have felt the boy's pain in battle. The nature of Ikari's son will draw our adversaries out of hiding, and once they are in the open—they will be crushed."

"All is going according to the scenario," Keel intoned seriously, "Commander Ikari and NERV will dispatch Adam's Lost Children, and the presence of the Sixth Guyver will bring forward the only other force which can stop us. Soon, all we have worked for will come to pass."

"The Ceremony of Red Earth," Ambassador Golubenko, or SEELE 08, stated grandly.

"The Purification of Humanity from Adam's destructive taint," added Councilwoman Nkandu.

"Instrumentality—the Ascension of mankind to its right and truest form," all the members of the High Council chanted solemnly, and Keel smiled thinly.

"The Council may now retire," the old man stated, and the other members of the High Council respectfully bowed their heads before signing off, eventually leaving the aged Aryan alone in the dark. For some time, the hunched figure just sat there, pondering an infinite number of thoughts known by Keel alone, and resting slightly on the virtual desk. After a time, one wrinkled hand reached into the inner pocket of the old green tunic and pulled out a thin silver chain, along with the heavy object attached to it.

Carefully, tenderly, Keel let the silver object slip into one palm, and then tilted down to gaze upon the artifact, the slight whirr of servomotors being the only sound. The object was a silver pendant, slightly resembling a stylized flatworm or zygote with a long, pointed tail and arrow-shaped head. In the center of the head was the ringed, spherical form of a control medallion—the supreme symbol of the beings who had crafted this emblem and so much else on Earth.

Keel's wrinkled face stretched into an amused grin, and the ancient member of humanity briefly considered how the master of the pendant's previous owner, the God that this symbol once represented, now physically resembled his own crest. With a hint of melancholy, Keel's head slowly shook.

"Archanfel, you were always such a fool . . ." the elderly form uttered before fading away, leaving only the dark, dark room in the infinity of cyberspace.

END CHAPTER EIGHT

TRANSLATION GUIDE

-_kun_: Used in causal/friendly relationships, typically with males, and most often as a sign of light affection from a superior to a subordinate. Also used between people of the same age who share friendly relations.  
-_sama_: Reserved for individuals of extremely high rank or nobility (like royalty, or world leaders), but also can be used to display an extremely high level of respect/affection.

**_AN:_ **_Because you demanded it (okay, you really didn't, but I don't care—nya!), more omakes, inspired by the style used in Innortal's hilarious fanfic _"I Do".

OMAKE #1

Somewhere in the infinity of cyberspace there existed a dark, dark room. And in the center of this room there was a dark, dark desk. And sitting around that desk, illuminated individually by different colors of the rainbow, were five very dark, dark men. Each one of these men possessed dark, dark hearts, and they each held dark, dark thoughts and dark, dark dreams for the future of humanity. They sat with growing impatience in the dark, dark room, with growing dark, dark tempers at the tardiness of their dark, dark appointment.

"When the Hell is the repair guy going to get here and fix the lights!"

OMAKE #2

Further down the table, a yellow-illuminated Committee member pushed a pair of wire-rim glasses further up his hawkish nose.

"In regards to the Angel confrontation, we understand that a new pilot candidate was brought in—the Third Child. More to the point, we have learned that the name of this pilot is Shinji _Ikari_. Is it true that this child is your son, Ikari-_kun_?" French Representative Jaune asked with a sneer.

"Imagine, giving a war machine like Evangelion to his boy like some damned birthday present!" Senator Greene of the United States barked contemptuously. At the end of the table, Gendo remained characteristically stone-faced.

'Damn it, Yui—this is what I get for giving you a little 'free time' with your son!' the Bastard King thought with much malice and gnashing of teeth.

(Back in Tokyo-3)

"Wheeeeeeeee!" yelled Shinji as he ran across the glittery countryside in his brand new Evangelion, "My Dad is the best Dad ever!" So enthralled in the bliss of paternal love was he that Shinji totally ignored the bus station, used car lot, stained glass factory, and antiques flea market that Unit-01's size 200's accidentally pulverized. He could vaguely recall a cheer as he ran over the local Secondary School, but otherwise Shinji's mind was in a rare and all-consuming state of bliss.

Of course, the fact that the entire JSSDF, a half-repaired Unit-00, a rapidly transferred Unit-02, and various international military assets had been deployed to retrieve the wayward EVA was completely lost by the boy. Shinji was even ignorant that his own guardian was at the head of the attack force, seeking vengeance for the Yebisu factory that Lilith's purple clone had carelessly plowed its way through.

Yep, offering your son a 100-story mecha to apologize for years of emotional damage and neglect sure did have its ups and downs.

OMAKE #3

Gasping loudly, Councilman Pastrana loosed his tie and collar, and then grasped at his neck as if he were being chocked. Seated between Khan and Hiyern, a tall, dark-skinned man with the facial tattoos of an Indian yogi grinned maliciously as he took several deep breaths.

_HO-PAH. HO-PAH._ "I find your lack of faith disturbing," stated Councilman Luggnagg de Krumeggnic, a small round jewel glowing slightly on his forehead. At the other end of the tall Indian's glare, his target continued to gasp desperately while others murmured around him.

"Krumeggnic, _release him!_" Keel's voice bellowed authoritatively, and the bald Indian glanced at the older figure out of the corner of his eye.

"As you wish," he said with a shrug, and as the glow on his forehead faded the Latino collapsed on his desk, slowly taking in large gulps of air. Still frowning, Keel shifted to look from Krumeggnic to SEELE 10, and then around the rest of the dark room.

"This bickering is pointless," Keel said, "Soon our plans will be set, and this battle station will become operational. We will then crush the Rebellion with one swift stroke." A faint chirping could be heard in the background, and SEELE 11 signed off momentarily to close the open window in his office.

"Umm . . . what battle station?" asked Admiral Cardinal hesitantly. Beneath the wraparound visor, Keel's eyes blinked, and though the wrinkled face remained impassive, sweat began to bead on the old man's forehead. Seated beside him, the three other members of the Leadership were shaking slightly and covering their mouths as they desperately tried not to laugh out loud.

"The Force is . . . lacking, in this one," Krumeggnic said seriously before breaking into a fit of giggles. Laughter rippled around the room as the heavy air of meeting was quickly shattered, though SEELE 10 pouted at his not being told of the joke beforehand. Frowning, Keel leaned back and folded both arms with disgust.

'Damn Dhalsim-wannabe,' the ancient human thought, 'That's the last time he ropes me into an all-night marathon of the three Star Wars Trilogies . . .'

**Author's Notes: **I know a lot of you probably feel pretty gypped after waiting so long only to get this minimal action, relatively short chapter. I'm sorry. Truly, truly, I am sorry. School's been hell for me this term, and along with the work I do with AFROTC, my free time is minimal. And even when I do have free time, I've found it . . . really difficult to write lately. I've been going through . . . some personal issues the last few weeks, and it all but sucked my creativity dry. So, even when I have time to write, I can't concentrate well enough to put words together properly. I'm getting better now, as evident by the fact that I actually managed to finish this chapter. I hope the next few won't be as long to put out, as I already have them framed in my mind. Still, I can make no guarantees with this fickle, fickle muse of mine. I promise to do my best, but there are things in the outside world and my inside world that I sometimes can't control. Again, sorry for the delay—I hope you all can understand.

Anyways, before anyone asks, the names I used for the Guyver characters in this chapter (particularly Alkanphel/Archanfel and Reichman Gyro/Richard Guyot) are the more correct spellings according to many Guyver websites I've visited. For those Evangelion fans who don't have any idea what I'm talking about, just hang in there—all will be explained in time.

As for the membership of High Council of SEELE, when developing it I tried to imagine the sort of representation a world-wide organization would have at its highest level. Since in my story many of those positions were pre-determined (the Committee members), this is what I managed to come up with:

SEELE High Council  
01: Germany – Europe  
02: Northern/Central Asia  
03: Southern/Southeast Asia  
04: Middle East  
05: North America  
06: France – Europe  
07: United Kingdom – Europe  
08: Russian Federation/Eastern Europe  
09: Spain – Europe  
10: Oceania  
11: Central/South America  
12: Africa

Which adds up to: Europe—5 Americas—2 Asia—2 Middle East—1 Africa—1 Oceania—1

Not the most accurate distribution, I know, but it was the best I could come up with. Also the names of the UN Committee members are completely my own creation, and not official or anything (if you know the meanings in their respective languages, and watch EVA, you'll get the joke). On that note, does anyone out there know another Russian word for blue other than "Goluboj"? "Goluboj" was the only Romanized word I found on the net, but unfortunately it's also a slang term for, er, something, and I _really_ don't want to offend anybody. ;-)

Moving along, several reviewers have asked me who I intend to pair Shinji with in this story. I will say right now, I absolutely have **_no_** final pairings in mind at the moment. And unfortunately for all of you, when it comes to deciding such things I'm a follower of the school of thought found in Ranka's "The One I Love Is . . ." In other words, if I do decide on a pairing, you won't find out what it is until the very end, with multiple suggestions along the way. The only thing you can be certain of is that it won't be with one of the older female cast members (not that I'm against that in principle, just in this fic). That eliminates Maya, Misato, and Ritsuko from the running. If Shinji _does _end up with anybody in this story, it will probably be a girl from his relative age group. Therefore, Asuka, Rei, Hikari, and Mari are all equal contenders for Shinji's affections. Heck, even Mana Kirishima and Mayumi Yamagishi would stand a chance if they ever show up (Yeah, _if_. Heh, heh, heh . . .).

Now, I have nothing against my reviewers suggesting whom they think Shinji should be with at the end. However, my only stipulation is that if you _do_ decide to make a suggestion, please give a well-thought out reason for it. In other words, no "Asuka beats Rei so hard!" or "Rei pwns all!" type comments please. Think it through, and give me a logical reason for a particular pairing. I'm very open to whatever any of you or willing to say or suggest, as this is an evolving fanfic and I am an evolving writer. So fire away, but please put a little thought into it. ;-)

That about sums it up for this chapter, I think. On to the Reader Responses!

**Laser Crusader**: You've sure got a bunch of questions! I'll try to answer them all the best I can:

Question 1 – Shinji's already "gone Guyver" once (off-camera), and twice if you count his brief bio-boost in the first sidestory. Remember, Shinji doesn't particularly enjoy the fact that he's a Guyver right now, so it's not something he'd call upon just for the heck of it. He will exercise his abilities as a Guyver more freely later in the story, I promise you. But for now, please be patient.

Question 2 – (points to the above chapter) ;-P

Question 3 – See the Author's Notes.

**Teknoguyver**: I admire your creative sprit and ingenuity, my friend! Your ideas and observations about our favorite sociopath have intrigued me, and hopefully I'll find some way to include them into the story.

As for how to bring Chronos into the story, thank you for the Jet Alone suggestion, but as you've probably deduced the problem has already been dealt with. Still, feel free to send any others suggestions or ideas you have my way. I've still got a lot of story to write, and I can use all the help I can get:-)

**Ran Hoshino**: It wasn't the legal or sexually suggestive aspects of Maya's thoughts that worried me, Ran—I was more concerned with how those thoughts affected the tone of the Shinji-Maya relationship. When I first wrote that scene I thought it would be funny for Maya to be momentarily attracted to Shinji's physique, but then give herself the classic mental beating of "Bad thoughts! Bad thoughts!" However, after reading **noctifer**'s comment and reviewing the text, I realized how the wording could be misinterpreted for actual sexual attraction, which was not what I wanted Maya to feel towards Shinji.

Please don't misunderstand—I'm not against a Maya-Shinji relationship, and have in fact read several fine stories that explore that concept. However, in my fanfic I wanted to emphasize the effect that the Guyver's alterations to Shinji have had on the way other people perceive him. You see, just as Shinji's arrested development affects the way his peers view him, they also affect in varying degrees the way that adults view him. At best, Maya sees Shinji as some sort of pseudo little brother, and at worst as a lost child in need of comfort and protection. These aren't particularly wrong or cruel ways for Maya to view Shinji, but you can imagine the crushing effect they would have on his ego. And just think, since Shinji is trapped in a 12-year old body so long as he is a Guyver, what will happen to the way his own peers interact with him as they in fact age and mature? The implications are both painful and poignant, which is exactly what I'm hoping to convey.

And you're right—it _would_ take a full, double-barreled Megasmasher (maybe even the Gigantic Guyver's Gigasmasher) to deal with most of Misato's cooking. Since the apartment wasn't totally destroyed, I can only assume that Shinji managed to lure the slime monster (and whatever else may have been lurking in the fridge) to the balcony before blasting it to oblivion. Now if only he could do that with some of the Angels . . . _(whistles innocently)_

**X-Over**: Since I answered your questions in the e-mail you sent me, I hope you won't mind if I don't repeat them here. It's nothing against you—I'm just trying to maintain some plot secrecy.

**FinalMax**: Thanks for your review! I'm a fan of many of your fics, particularly "This Way to Happiness", and receiving such a favorable response from an author like you certainly made my day.

Now, regarding the little problem of Shinji's halted growth, for one the Guyver Unit is not dependent on the _human_ body's ability to grow for regeneration. Rather, it is dependent on the _bio-booster organism_'s ability to rapidly grow and regenerate, as regulated by the Control Medal. You may not know this, but according to biology files from later issues of the Guyver manga, much of the host's internal and external physiology is altered and rearranged upon the summoning of the armor. While the armor is encapsulating and connecting to the host's body, the body in turn is changing into an adaptable structure for immediate connection and merger with the Unit-G. In essence, the host ceases to be (biologically) what it was before and becomes an extension of the Bio-booster organism. Thus, when the Guyver is forced to regenerate from injury, it is the bio-booster organism, not human tissue, that is growing and healing, something the organism needs only a small measure of bio-energy to do. Finally, when the host recalls the armor, bio-booster tissue is rapidly converted back into human flesh and bone as the armor disengages and returns to hyperspace, making it seem as if the host never changed when he/she summoned the Guyver.

Speaking of the Guyver canon, in truth no one has any idea if the Unit-G physically halts the aging process. It's primarily an item of fan speculation, as the issue hasn't been addressed yet in the manga (where only a year of time has passed over 26 volumes), and Yoshiki Takaya isn't saying anything. If you look at some of the Guyver fan boards, you'll see numerous debates on this topic, with some people claiming that the Unit-G has no effect, to others that say it slows the aging process, or halts it after the host reaches his/her prime, or halts it upon initial activation. I decided to go with the most extreme theory (total halt of aging upon activation) for a number of reasons, number one being that it gives Shinji yet another thing to angst about (**bardiel132003** was right—I _am_ mean to poor Shinji ;-P). Also, one of my favorite Guyver fanfic series—the Warrior Guyver saga—uses the same concept to great success.

Moving along, in your review you also stated that the Guyver seems to be ignorant of the host's necessary life cycle. To that I ask, "Why does the Unit-G _need_ to be aware of such a thing?" Remember, the Bio-booster Armor was not crafted by or for humans. The Creators, those mysterious beings who descended on primordial Earth eons ago, forged the Unit-G, and while adaptable to different organisms, it was most likely designed to accommodate their unique specifications. Why is this important? Well, because the Creators were on Earth for billions of years manipulating life, we can assume that they were fairly long lived (maybe even non-corporal and/or immortal). Thus, upon creation the Unit-G may have naturally been attuned to the Creators' enormously long life cycle. Also, the Creators used the Unit-G much like we would an environmental suit or space suit, the armor maintaining their "bodies" for a brief duration in an alien environment until it was safe to discard. So if the Bio-booster Armor's primary function was to _maintain_ the host organism until deactivation, in mortal beings like humans this may result in an incidental halt in aging. In other words, the immortality brought by the Guyver is an unintended side-effect of using complex alien technology. It doesn't make Shinji's life any easier, but that may be the unfortunate reality.

Feel free to offer a counterargument to my rambling if you wish. I am by no means an authority or expert on the technology of Bio-booster Armor Guyver, so if my theories have holes by all means point them out! Thanks again for the review:-)

**AN:** That's all she wrote! Mares Guyver, signing off.


	10. Chapter 9: Mysterious Shadow

_Standard Disclaimer_: "Neon Genesis Evangelion" and "Bio-booster Armor Guyver" are the creative property of Hideaki Anno and Yoshiki Takaya respectively. I own nothing but the clothes on my back and a few licorice sticks, so stop hounding me about my fanfiction!

_Other Standard Disclaimer_: This fanfic is rated PG-13 (or T) for violence, swearing, and mild sexual references.

_Introductory Author's Note_: IIIIIIIIIII'MMMMMMMMM BAAAAAAAACCCCCCCKKKKKKK!!! (with a chapter pre-read by **James Ray Edwards **to boot! ;-P)

KEY  
"spoken"  
'thoughts'

Out of Control  
A Neon Genesis Evangelion/  
Bio-booster Armor Guyver Fusion  
By: Mares Guyver

Chapter 9: Mysterious Shadow

For what seemed like the umpteenth time that day, Shinji sighed as he gazed skyward. Baring when his father left him and his arrival in Tokyo-3, fewer days had gone as absolutely down the drain as his first day at school. He had hoped that things could be different—that he could make a fresh start, with no expectations laid out about who he was supposed to be or how he was supposed to act.

But now that people knew that he was an EVA pilot . . .

Shinji bowed his head. Since that first, impromptu announcement in class, the entire day had been an endless stream of people coming up to him, peppering him with questions and mock adulation. The boy was not so stupid as to realize that the praise and goodwill being thrown his way was empty—the baseless adoration of status-seekers and glory leeches. The compliments, the requests for autographs and dates, they were **_all_** meaningless. And worse, as soon as the wave had settled, he was left by himself, alone again. Segregated by his own status as a hero.

At least, that was how it was 'til lunchtime rolled around.

That event had brought the first genuine show of emotion all day—pure hatred. A group of boys whose homes were wrecked in the Angel battle had confronted him, demanding payback for his obvious inadequacies as a pilot.

Shinji had been prepared to take the punishment—after all, it _was _his fault that their homes were obliterated. But then Touji had stepped in like some latter day knight, swinging his fists around like a prizefighter and daring any one of the other boys to step up against him. The result was a mob of mockery as the boys collapsed in a fit of laugher, pointing at Shinji and calling him a "baby" in need of his "big brother" Touji.

'From hero to zero in less than four periods . . .' Shinji thought as he trudged past the school gates and began the long walk back to Misato's apartment. He stopped though as he heard his name being shouted behind him. Cringing, Shinji slowly turned around, but then relaxed slightly as he saw that it was Touji and the bespectacled boy, Aida.

Running up to Shinji, Touji stopped and bent over to catch his breath. "Ikari," he said between breaths, "I want ya to do me a favor."

"Yeah?" Shinji replied with a bit of hesitation.

"Hit me."

Shinji blinked as his brain tried to process what he had just heard, "Wha-what?"

"I want ya to hit me as hard as ya can," stated Touji with all seriousness.

"What, like in the face?"

"I don't know, surprise me."

"This is so stupid—I mean, are you from some kind of fight club or something?" asked Shinji.

"Shin-man, the first rule you learn is you never talk about the club. But the point is, I won't be satisfied until yous pays me back for all the wrongs I did to you today. So fuckin' hit me already!" Touji replied with rising irritation, red-faced and one vein beginning to throb on his temple.

Shinji glanced around the track-suited teen to the freckled boy behind him, "Is he always like this?"

"Yeah, pretty much," Kensuke said with a smile and nod, "And once you get him worked up, he gets as stubborn as a waterlogged M-14 bolt-action."

'Riiiiiiiiiiiiiight . . .' Shinji thought as he looked up at Touji, who's face was set seriously, eyes narrowed, jaw set, and arms crossed. Yep, he certainly had the "tough guy" pose down pat.

With a defeated shrug, Shinji made a fist and drew it back behind his head. Taking a deep breath, the young EVA pilot twisted and threw his hand towards the other boy's face.

"Wait!" Touji said just as the fist was about to impact, "Don't hold back."

Shinji gulped, but nodded and stepped back away from Touji. Once again Shinji raised his fist behind his head, and once again he took a deep breath as he focused on his intended target. Finally, the boy yelled and closed his eyes, letting his fist fly forward in a blurred streak of motion.

A very audible smack echoed across the school yard, along with Touji's pained "umph" as he flew backwards in a tumble. When the dust settled, both Shinji and Kensuke could see that a long rivet had been dug in the ground, and that at the very end, nearly 100 yards away, sat a dazed and very woozy Touji.

Blood dripping from his nose, the track-suited boy swayed from side to side unsteadily before finally collapsing on the ground. Shinji and Kensuke rushed up to their downed classmate, whose body twitched spasmodically while his pupils spun in mini spirals.

"L-lovely . . ." he whispered, and then closed his eyes and passed out. Shinji and Kensuke gaped for a few seconds before finally looking at one another with shared shock. The ridiculousness of the situation finally settled, and both boys began laughing despite the fact that Touji was still oozing blood out his nostrils.

"Well . . . he _did_ tell you to hit him with everything you had," Kensuke said with a grin.

"Heh, heh . . . yeah," Shinji replied as he scratched the side of his face. Without a word, the two boys each grabbed one of their prostrate companion's arms and began dragging him along the ground to the nurse's office.

"So, Ikari, do you have any plans this afternoon?" Kensuke asked amiably, and Shinji glanced at the boy before looking forward again.

"Not really . . . NERV doesn't need me today. I thought I might go visit Ma—Suzuhara's sister, since I've been caught up in tests all this last week," Shinji replied after a pause, and then chuckled, "Besides the _last _thing I want is for this guy to think he needs to take that punch back because I didn't keep my promise."

"Heh, heh . . . you're probably right," Kensuke said with a laugh of his own, "Well, after you stop at the hospital, you wanna go to the arcade? Touji and I can also show you all the best places to hang out around Tokyo-3, if you'd like." Shinji looked at the freckled boy in shock.

"S-sure . . . if you really want to. I don't want to be a burden," the suddenly shy Shinji stated, and Kensuke laughed at his classmate's reluctance.

"Ha, of course not! That's what friends do around here," Kensuke said with a friendly smile, which slowly morphed into a more mischievous grin, "And as your friend, I'd _love_ to hear anything you can tell me about what it's like to be an EVA pilot!"

Shinji groaned, Kensuke laughed, and together the new trio made their way into the school, Touji's head bumping on the ground every step of the way.

* * *

_Click . . . click . . . click . . . click . . . click . . ._

In a dim, steel-lined corridor that would be the envy of any military establishment, a young woman in a conservative black suit and skirt strode purposefully down the hall, her heels clearly announcing her presence to any who happened to be in front of her. With her long ebony hair trailing behind her like a fanciful cape, she passed several burly men in military fatigues who instantly pressed themselves against the wall to let her through. Though they quickly snapped their hands up in salute, she barely gave the taller men a glance from behind her large round spectacles before continuing on her way. The scene would be fairly odd to anyone unfamiliar viewing it, not only because the rough-and-tough soldiers seemed to tremble even after the girl had passed them by.

But also because the girl looked no more than thirteen years old.

Eventually, the young woman reached a single, rather unremarkable door along the passageway. The only distinction the door held was a large red "Z" emblazoned upon it, bisected by an iconic yellow lightning bolt. Knocking once, the girl let herself in and then bowed reverentially after she had closed the entrance behind her.

"Master, forgive my intrusion, but I believe there is something you should see," she stated to the desk on the opposite side of the room.

Immersed in shadows, the figure seated behind the massive mahogany structure grunted in assertion. With nary a pause, the girl stood upright and made her way over to a computer terminal on one side of the room. Removing a disk from her pocket, she inserted it into the device and then turned as a large screen burned to life.

"What you are witnessing is a low resolution video capture from a personal video recorder. The footage was posted anonymously on a third-rate website, and almost slipped past the attention of our intelligence teams, were it not for the date of recording," she stated, as a grainy, heavily blurred video began playing behind the girl, "As you can see, the time index corresponds exactly to the . . . occurrence for which you initiated the investigation. Our video experts have thoroughly analyzed the source material and their assessment is that this is legitimate."

Back on the screen, the video finally settled on the middle of a large city, apparently shot from a good distance away. In the middle of the city was a creature that could have come out any of the various giant monster movies made in Japan before Second Impact. As the gangly, lopsided figure shot some sort of energy beam into the ground, another being emerged from beneath the city and, after a pause, began doing battle with the first entity.

"Impressive . . ." a deep, masculine voice from behind the desk mused, rising with wicked mirth as the second, purple figure began tearing the first bizarre being apart, "_Most_ impressive."

Eventually, the battle onscreen reached an impasse, with the first creature turning to liquid and flowing about the purple fighter like an amoeba. There was a final flash of light, and then the video dissolved into static. As the screen went dark, the room lights burned to life, finally revealing the mystery man from behind the shadows.

Like the girl, he was dressed in a stylish black suit, his long dark locks gelled in a severe backwards pull on his head. Physically, he seemed no older than his early twenties, but his face, with thick brows and a cruel, sneering mouth, conveyed a much older soul behind it. Folding his hands atop the desk, he looked sharply at the young girl across the room, who met the stare confidently.

"What do we know about the events captured here?" the man finally asked, and the girl glanced at a folder she had been carrying with her.

"The UN has been feeding cover stories to all global news agencies, ones which do not match up with any informal accounts," the girl stated evenly, "However, our own inside sources have stated that the dark-green creature is an alien entity codenamed 'Angel'. Apparently this is the third such entity encountered, though we currently have no information on the previous two."

"The purple creature is a bio-mechanical construct known as Evangelion, which in turn is operated by a UN-contracted organization called NERV. Information on both the Evangelion and NERV is scarce, and closely guarded on both legitimate and illegitimate levels of inquiry."

"Hmm . . . what DO we know about this NERV?" the man asked.

"It is highly organized, with four branches that we are aware of—two in the United States, one in Germany, and their main branch in Tokyo-3—where the Angel Attack took place. It also seems to have near unlimited financial support from the UN, and holdings in numerous corporations that may prove to be dummy fronts," the girl replied, finally closing her folder to look up at the man, "Beyond that, there is little we have been able to uncover. They seem to have a top-line computer system, as our hackers have as of yet been able to put a dent in their security firewalls."

"And of the Evangelion?"

"Next to nothing, other than that they are piloted and that there are currently three operable units," the girl said, while the man sat back and rubbed his chin.

"There is one . . . troubling factor," the girl said unsteadily, continuing when the man raised a curious brow, "While we have not been able to find any personal information on the pilots, we have discovered that they are given the designation 'Children' and are selected by an organization called the Marduk Institute. We managed to gain access to a file to mentions some of the qualifications that must be met to pilot."

"One of these . . . is that a pilot candidate must have been born AFTER Second Impact," she finished.

"So . . . the pilot of this purple EVAnGELion, would barely be fifteen years old . . ." the man pondered, while the girl just looked on. Several minutes of silence passed between the two, but eventually the man stood and began to pace behind his desk.

"Most intriguing . . . You were right to bring all of this to my attention. Inform the intelligence division that NERV, the Evangelion, and all things associated that the UN is hiding has become our top priority. I will make my own inquires from the public front. Hopefully, there is something here that we can turn to our advantage," he said, and the girl nodded and turned to leave.

"Hold just a moment," the man said, and the girl turned back impassively, "You have done well, Setsuko. I am . . . pleased."

The girl's face remained still as stone, but if one really looked, they could see the teen's eyes light up momentarily before dimming again. Quickly and shakily, the young woman bowed so that her long hair curtained her face from view.

"This one humbly accepts your praise . . . Otou-_sama_," she breathed, then whirled around and hurried out of the room.

The dark man smirked amusedly at the girl's actions, reaching into his breast pocket and removing a cell phone. Pressing a short sequence to activate his speed dial, the man raised the device to his ear and waited for the other end to pick up.

"This is an unsecured line," he stated as way of greeting when the final mumbled hello came through, "We need to talk, in person. It regards the . . . mutual incident from a week ago. I expect that you will be available this weekend?"

A barely audible series of statements followed, and the man nodded understandingly.

"Bring her along as well then—our discussion may involve her at some point," he said, and smirked as the final agreement came through, "Indeed . . . I will look forward to the day, G-1."

Closing the cell phone, the man who at one time or another been known as the son of Genzo Makashima, the poster child of the Chronos Corporation, the possessor of the Third known Guyver unit, and now simply "Zeus," sat down in his large office chair. Seizing a remote, he replayed the footage of the Battle of Tokyo-3, smiling as again and again the purple mecha went berserk and tore into the sinewy Angel, forcing it to self-destruct.

Pausing at the moment when the Angel used its energy beam to pierce the EVA's head clean through, the head of Zeus Thunderbolt sat back and steepled his hands before his face. Regarding the image, he remembered back to a little over a week before, when he and two others had simultaneously felt a blinding pain, akin to a spike being driven clean through their skulls. Since nothing was overtly wrong with any of them, they could only reach one conclusion—that another like them was somewhere out there, unintentionally sending his pain through the telepathic connection they were forced to share as part of their common legacy.

Shaking his head, Zeus unfroze the image and watched as once more the purple behemoth roared to the heavens—out of control, and attacking with a merciless fury familiar to anyone involved with the Guyver. Laughing harshly, the reminisced over the relative tedium of the last decade and a half—a time where the power of the Bio-booster Armor was not needed or welcome.

It seemed, things were about to get interesting once again.

END CHAPTER NINE

TRANSLATION GUIDE:  
-_sama_: Reserved for individuals of extremely high rank or nobility (like royalty, or world leaders), but also can be used to display an extremely high level of respect/affection.  
Otou-_sama_: "Father", but with a particularly respectful and formal connotation.

_**Author's Notes: **Sorry I've been gone for a while, but I guess I just needed a break from fanfic writing to get my life back in order. I won't elaborate on some of the things that have been going on, but let's just say that recent changes have forced me to totally restructure my educational plans for the next few years, and that I've had to play catch up in terms of figuring out what I'm going to do. Anyways, I'm back, and I definitely plan to continue with this story, in addition to a few other projects._

_Now, for the Reader Responses!_

**Tallwhitemocha: **Hmm . . . it _is _possible that damage to Shinji's Control Medallion would cancel out the age suspension mechanism. I imagine that, were this to occur, Shinji would merely start growing at the normal rate, as if nothing had ever happened. The main problem is that any damage to the Control Medal is also likely to be fatal. The metallic orb, for all its power, is a very delicate instrument, and when damaged it has been seen to perform abnormally (a la Guyver II). Even a slight amount of harm could cause the Medal to deteriorate to the point of self-destruction. And when that happens, the host of the Guyver is good as bio-booster chow. :-(

**Jake:** The site is (www)(wallgarden)(com)(sg), also known simply as "Wallgarden(dot)com".

**Robert Cartwright:** Do you _really_ want me to give someone like Asuka access to one of the most destructive and powerful weapons ever conceived? Oh wait, NERV already did that. ;-P In answer to your question, no, I'm not planning on giving Asuka a Guyver unit. The legal ramifications of the resulting destruction would be too much to handle.

**Brax the Great:** Think of it this way—EVA is the continuation of Guyver, and Guyver is the prologue to Evangelion. ;-)

**Ten-Faced Paladin: ** Zoanoid fights later on, yes. Other Pilots with Guyver units, maaaaaaaaaaybe.

**bytbyt:** You're on the right track, my friend.

_**AN: ** Thank you once more to everyone that has read, reviewed, and supported my story since its creation nearly two years ago. I apologize once more for my frequent absences, but my determination to continue this story and eventually finish it has never wavered. Thank you, and on to the next chapter!_


End file.
